s-2016-08-18

FREE

Multiple violations shuttered the Casino Royale card room— until City Hall stacked the deck for gaming interests

GE A P

07

by Sco tt Tho m And as erso n

8

12

C h e C k yo u riv ile g e ’ ‘f e m a le pr

Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

|

m or e Qu eSTi o N S iN faTa l po li Ce Sh oo Ti N

Volume 28, iSSue 18

|

g

16

thurSday, auGuSt

flee Tr um p, flee Th e TW iTTe rv er Se

18, 2016

|

newSreView.com

2 | SN&R | 08.18.16

EditoR’S NotE

AUGUSt 18, 2016 | Vol. 28, iSSUE 18

23

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

Editor Rachel Leibrock Associate Editor Raheem F. Hosseini Arts & Culture Editor Janelle Bitker Assistant Editor Anthony Siino Editorial Services Coordinator Karlos Rene Ayala Staff Reporter Scott Thomas Anderson Contributors Daniel Barnes, Ngaio Bealum, Alastair Bland, Rob Brezsny, Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Willie Clark, Deena Drewis, Joey Garcia, Cosmo Garvin, Blake Gillespie, Lovelle Harris, Jeff Hudson, Dave Kempa, Jim Lane, Kel Munger, Kate Paloy, Patti Roberts, Ann Martin Rolke, Shoka, Bev Sykes, Graham Womack Editorial Intern Jeremy Winslow

34 Design Manager Lindsay Trop Art Directors Brian Breneman, Margaret Larkin Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Designer Kyle Shine Marketing/Publications Design Manager Serene Lusano Marketing/Publications Designer Sarah Hansel Contributing Photographers Lisa Baetz, Darin Bradford, Kevin Cortopassi, Evan Duran, Luke Fitz, Jon Hermison, Shoka, Lauran Fayne Worthy Director of Sales and Advertising Corey Gerhard Sales Coordinator Joanna Graves Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Olla Swanson, Joy Webber, Kelsi White Advertising Consultants Angel De La O, Stephanie Johnson, Matt Kjar, Paul McGuinness, Wendy Russell, Manushi Weerasinghe Director of First Impressions David Lindsay Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Services Assistant Larry Schubert Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Kimberly Bordenkircher, Daniel Bowen, Heather Brinkley, Allen Brown, Mike Cleary, Jack Clifford, Lydia Comer, Rob Dunnica, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Garry Foster, Joanna Gonzalez-Brown, Greg Meyers, Aswad Morland,

63 Kenneth Powell, Gilbert Quilatan, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Jonathan Taea N&R Publications Editor Michelle Carl N&R Publications Associate Editor Kate Gonzales N&R Publications Writers Anne Stokes Senior N&R Publications Consultant Dave Nettles N&R Publications Consultants Elena Ruiz, Julie Sherry President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Marketing/Promotions/Facilities Manager Will Niespodzinski Executive Coordinator Jessica Takehara Project Coordinator Natasha vonKaenel Director of Dollars & Sense Nicole Jackson Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Dargitz Accounts Receivable Specialist Kortnee Angel Sweetdeals Specialist/HR Coordinator Courtney DeShields Nuts & Bolts Ninja Christina Wukmir Interns Holly Gerhard Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano, Jonathan Schultz System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

05 07 08 15 16 20 23 25 31 32 34 41 51 63

STREETALK LETTERS NEwS + beaTS ScoREKEEpER FEATuRE SToRy ARTS&cuLTuRE NighT&dAy diSh + off MeNu STAgE FiLm muSic + SouNd adVice ASK joEy ThE 420 15 miNuTES

coVER dESigN By BRiAN BRENEmAN coVER iLLuSTRATioN By SERENE LuSANo

1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone (916) 498-1234 Fax (916) 498-7910 Website www.newsreview.com Got a News Tip? sactonewstips@newsreview.com Calendar Events www.newsreview.com/calendar Want to Advertise? Fax (916) 498-7910 or snradinfo@newsreview.com Classifieds (916) 498-1234, ext. 5 or classifieds@newsreview.com Job Opportunities jobs@newsreview.com Want to Subscribe to SN&R? sactosubs@newsreview.com Editorial Policies: opinions expressed in SN&R are those of the authors and not of chico community Publishing, inc. contact the editor for permissions to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. SN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. email letters to snrletters@newsreview.com. all letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel.

Advertising Policies: all advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of acceptance. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes the responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

Houses of history This weekend, news of Casa de Chaos’ possible fate started to spread.

For those unfamiliar with it, Casa is one of three longstanding “punk houses” located along 21st Street between P and Q streets. It’s been beloved for decades as a living space, music venue and safe haven for Midtown’s original core of punks, weirdos and misfits.

I lived a few blocks away in the ’90s, and remember it well from my college days. It wasn’t really my scene, yet I still hold a certain fondness for its endearing jankiness and its commitment to good music, bad beer and a spirited sense of bedlam.

Now, its future is in question.

The landlord recently informed tenants of plans to demolish all three houses, following an assessment that concluded they didn’t meet requirements to be declared a historic landmark.

I get it. Midtown’s changing. The chance for profit is huge. Still, these houses represent decades of Midtown at its most Midtown—before farm-tofork, nightclubs and the arena.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento Preservation Commission was scheduled to meet at City Hall, with Casa supporters expected to show up for public comment. The goal: to contest the historic assessment evaluation.

For those who couldn’t make the meeting, there are other ways to participate. For starters, contact the City of Sacramento’s preservation director, Roberta Deering, at rdeering@cityofsacramento.org by August 26 to ask the city to reconsider.

This isn’t just a matter of nostalgia; it’s about preserving this city’s gritty bones. I’m not against change, but there should be a balance—a respect for those who built the foundation.

—Rachel leibRock r a c h e ll@ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

SN&R is printed at bay area News Group on recycled newsprint. circulation of SN&R is verified by the circulation Verification council.

SN&R is a member of Sacramento Metro chamber of commerce, cNPa, aaN and aWN.

best Car Wash speCials express exterior wash only • Priority Lane $ 99 9 * • Avoid Lines • No Delays

with coupon

normally $13.99 *Expires 09/22/16 • Coupon Code 405

premier wash 20.99 Full Service Wash including 8.00 5.00 1.00 6.00

interior vacuum & wipe down Triple Foam Wax Underbody Rust Inhibitor Air Freshener only Sealant

$40.99 Value

*Expires 09/22/16 • Coupon Code 158

2299*

$

with coupon

1901 l Street • 916.446.0129

(on the corner of 19th and L) •

www.harvscarwash.com 08.18.16 | SN&R | 3

Stay in tune with bill alerts.

Is saving money music to your ears? Our free online tools will help!

• Sign up for text and email bill alerts to help your family stay on track.

• Track your electricity use and see what it’s costing you by hour, day, or month.

• Complete the free home profile to get personalized energy saving tips.

Turn up the savings at smud.org/MyEnergyTools

0712-16

4 | SN&R | 08.18.16

“I Went there to see the ChrIstIan metal band, stryper.”

Asked outside of dutch Brothers coffee on MAdison And sAn JuAn Avenues:

What was the best concert you saw?

Jo Johnson legal assistant

Bill Medley [of the Righteous Brothers] when he was at the Crest Theatre.

It brought back lots of memories of high school.

He brought his daughter out and they did the duets; you know his partner [Bobby Hatfield] passed away. It was just wonderful. He was really funny. He would sing and do all of the moves.

dorothy Bl Asy retired

James Brown at the Memorial Auditorium when I was in high school.

It was fun and full of energy. He did this thing with the cape, he would go off-stage and then he’d come back on and they would throw another cape on him. The favorite song from the night was “Please, Please, Please.”

scot t Beret te shop owner

We flew up to Seattle and met my brother, his wife and kids. I went there to see the Christian metal band, Stryper. It was about seven years ago. It was a wedding gift from my wife to go with my brother.

Stryper still plays like they did back in the’80s. My favorite song was “Soldiers Under Command.”

Ashle y PorrecA bartender

Tesla at the Fox Theatre in Oakland with my dad and my little brother. It was a blast. My dad is my best friend and so is my little brother. We don’t really get to do a lot of things together so it was great.

We stayed late. [We had] cocktails before and after.

Mel Anie heil

donovAn konhnert

bakery clerk

artist

I had just graduated and Bell Biv DeVoe, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill played at what was Arco Arena at the time. It was the early ’80s. My friend got us tickets and we all went. The atmosphere was a lot of fun. People were having a great time and were happy. It was sold out.

Authority Zero came through for Concerts In the Park. I have wanted to see them since I was 5 or 6 years old. I grew up with two older brothers listening to them so it was automatically the coolest thing ever.

They were coming through 10 days before my birthday.

I had a blast.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 5

6 | SN&R | 08.18.16

ONLINE BUZZ

Email lEttErs to sactolEttErs@nEwsrEviEw.com.

Oh, OK

Check your privilege Re “Female privilege” by Fred Hayward (SN&R Letters, August 11): Hi, Fred! I went ahead and started that “female privilege” column you were asking about. I’m certain other readers will be able to add more to this very, very brief list. After all, there is a 200-word limit.

1.) I can walk down the street and face unchecked harassment.

2.) I can have strangers condemn and insult me for legally breastfeeding my baby in public.

3.) I can get sent home from school for wearing “provocative clothing” (shorts).

4.) I get to have “blood coming out of [my] eyes; blood coming out of [my] wherever.”

5.) I can watch as females get significantly underrepresented in film and television programs.

6.) I can get paid 78 cents to the male* dollar. That becomes significantly less if I am a Black, Latina, or Native American woman (64 cents, 54 cents, 58 cents, respectively). (*White male) 7.) I can have people blame me for my own rape.

A. HuertA S acr ame nt o

Re “Female privilege” by Fred Hayward (SN&R Letters, August 11): I am a white, 67-year-old, retired middle-class person and a product of a less-than-middle class upbringing with no privilege, especially when it came to the draft during the Vietnam War. I found Fred’s letter to be spot on.

Dennis Johnson Woodland

Out of gas Re “Crocker Village’s stunted growth” by Alastair Bland (SN&R News, August 11): The author states that “Petrovich offered to placate their concerns by relocating the gas station.” A small amount of investigation would show the fact that Petrovich rescinded the offer almost immediately. The author also describes how the

lawsuit states the gas station was a “core piece” of Petrovich’s plan. The Environmental Impact Report, the original PUD, and numerous other documents that are all accessible via the city’s website do not even mention a gas station.

Scott Johnson Sacramento

Say thanks Re “Allen Warren’s neighborhood” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R News, August 4): Let’s not forget that Mr. Warren has cracked down on illegal dumping of junk and debris in vacant lots and graffiti. This is major, because as a resident of Del Paso Heights, these things impact our quality of life and add to the negative stigma about our neighborhoods. Thank you, Mr. Warren.

Ramona Landeros Sacramento

On the COmmunity Outrage and delayS hOlding up develOpment in CrOCKer village: I’m amazed that I am sympathetic to a developer’s position. At the City Council hearing on the gas station, the denizens of Curtis Park didn’t offer to give up their cars— they just wanted the gas station in someone else’s neighborhood.

AliSon BrennAn v ia Fa c e b o o k I live across the street from this eyesore... It is a couple of people from a neighborhood that only holds a handful of folks that oppose this. Politics and closed door money exchanges have shut it down.

tony SoFiA v ia Fa c e b o o k

@SacNewsReview

Facebook.com/ SacNewsReview

@SacNewsReview

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

F e n s u t S

August 20-21, 2016 | CesAr ChAvez PArk sAturdAy 11Am–6Pm | sundAy 12Pm-5Pm

Solar Energy Extravaganza! Learn About Solar with Two Days of Sun-Filled Fun Live Music // Over 25 PerfOrMers! The sOLar awards - (sPeciaL PresenTaTiOns) // inTeracTive energy exhibiTs / fOOd Trucks & vendOrs

Admission $10 per person // Free for children under 16 yrs // For tickets visit: www.ticketderby.com // Or call (916) 572-6691 Brought to you By

and r Warren Media 08.18.16 | SN&R | 7

Multiple violations shuttered the Casino Royale card room—until City Hall stacked the deck for gaming interests

BY SCOTT THOMAS ANDERSON

8 | SN&R | 08.18.16

scotta@newsreview.com

2

BET

Despite Casino Royale’s documented troubles, Sacramento’s city council voted to ease regulations that would allow the card room to reopen in south Sacramento.

On a rainy evening in April, William Blanas sat in the Sacramento City Council chambers waiting to see if elected officials would reshuffle the rules in his favor.

Blanas co-owns a troubled gambling hall that has repeatedly run afoul of both state and city regulations. In the last four years, his Casino Royale has flopped a bad hand of documented troubles—from not paying its winners to having its state and city licenses revoked. The card room is also at the center of two ongoing lawsuits, one of which includes an accusation of fraud via Blanas himself.

Son of former Sheriff Lou Blanas, William Blanas recently accused his partner, majority owner James Kouretas, of a host of financial improprieties: His own paychecks had been inexplicably shrinking and the business records were being kept from him, his lawsuit claims.

Adding to the portrait of a questionable enterprise, state investigators documented that Casino Royale was heavily underfunded most nights, and sometimes even failed to cash out winners. The operation had at that time been shuttered for 17 months.

Yet there Blanas was, inside of City Hall, proverbial hat in hand, asking his elected officials to deal in him and his partner once again.

Despite everything that had happened between them, Blanas and Kouretas wanted to reopen the card room and move its location for the second time since 2013. As he waited, Blanas’ attorney asked the city council to erode one of the safeguards that held Casino Royale to

A

K

SER EN E LU SAN O ILL US TRA TIO N BY

BAD

A

8

8

K

2

account for its various failures and missteps.

And the council did, voting 7-1 in favor of easing its card room regulations across the board, which raises the question: How many times does a swindler get to sit at the table?

When it comes to Sacramento’s lucrative but controversial gambling business, it all comes down, predictably, to money. Casino Royale may not have had enough to pay its winners, but the business and its allies had more than enough cash to give to council members who voted in favor of easing restrictions against local gambling halls. Thanks to those elected officials, it’s now even easier to be in the betting business.

As for potential negative long-term impacts on residents and neighborhoods, their luck may be running out.

NO 007s At this tABle While Sacramento has four licensed card room operations, Casino Royale is the one the city’s finance department has dealt with regularly since 2012.

That’s when the card room approached officials about moving from Auburn Boulevard near the edge of Del Paso Heights into the Red Lion Hotel on Leisure Way in north Sacramento. As reported at the time by SN&R (see “Slot calling”

by Raheem F. Hosseini, SN&R News, December 13, 2012), the relocation faced pushback from many Woodlake residents.

Yet, with former City Manager Bob

Questions over fatal shooting see neWs

12

the foodie rush see greenlight

14

no shots, no class

see scoreKeePer

15

beatS

endangered children Thomas working as their consultant, Casino Royale’s owners convinced officials to sign off on the move.

Woodlake homeowners had fears of increased crime and traffic, but that’s not what proved to be the card room’s undoing.

According to the lawsuit against Kouretas, Blanas started getting worried about cash flow around September 2013. The suit claims Kouretas undersold Blanas on the expenses of relocation while overselling him on a potential windfall from setting up inside Red Lion. Blanas, the suit states, noticed “a reduction of his partnership distribution of Casino Royale profits”—meaning he was getting paid less. He asked to review the financial records, but alleges that Kouretas evaded his requests for weeks. Blanas eventually announced he’d be showing up at Casino Royale with an auditor approved by the California Gambling Control Commission.

Blanas and the inspector arrived the night before Halloween 2013. Blanas recalls in the suit that he and the auditor were met by Kouretas’ sister, Karen Kouretas, who identified herself as “an owner” and then “falsely represented that Casino Royale did not keep the financial records requested by Blanas on the card room’s grounds.” By May 2014, Blanas had served Kouretas with papers accusing him of “fraud, faulty accounting and abdication of fiduciary duties.”

An attorney for Kouretas said his client couldn’t comment on pending litigation. Blanas did not respond to interview requests through his attorney from SN&R. Five months later, state investigators turned to Casino Royale.

Records from the California Gambling Control Commission indicate that, on October 10 and 11 of 2014, a player at Casino Royale won $60,200. When the gambler attempted to cash in his chips, the card room could only pay him $20,000, and issued him an IOU for the rest.

Within five days, the state gambling commission was conducting a probe of Casino Royale. Card rooms, unlike casinos, earn profits by taking a portion of winnings from each hand, or by charging players to sit at the table for a specified time period.

In writing a summary of four separate on-site reviews his agency

admitted all of the state investigators’ conducted, Chief Wayne J. Quint Jr. allegations and findings against the of the California Bureau of Gambling card room. Their state license was Control noted the card room “lacked handed back. sufficient available funds to cover its Casino Royale faced no additional chips-in-use, the players’ banks, the penalties beyond the revocation. That’s player-funded jackpots and housenot uncommon, noted Eric Petosky, a funded jackpots.” spokesman for the California Gambling On each visit by his inspectors, Control Commission. Petosky said that Quint added, Casino Royale was when card rooms are underfunded, the underfunded by tens of thousands of moratorium allows the owners time to dollars and was even short $325,215 on make financial decisions. one particular day.

“The commissioners Based on these findwant card rooms to ings, the gambling operate legally as control commission defined by statute revoked Casino In October 2014, a player rather than Royale’s state shutter them gaming license at Casino Royale won permanently,” in November $60,200. When the gambler Petosky of that year. attempted to cash in his chips, explained. “In And, after the this case, both casino had been the card room could only pay parties agreed on nonoperational him $20,000. the settlement.” for more than 90 The very same days, Sacramento day, Blanas and officials revoked his attorney appeared the card room’s city before the Sacramento City license in February 2015, Council, urging its members to according to a staff report from the change the rules so that card rooms Sacramento Department of Finance. could be nonoperational for signifiCity rules had previously never cantly longer periods of time without allowed card rooms to keep a license automatically losing a city license. during a long-term closure. Yet Up to that point, the city code Sacramento council members would had dictated that any card room that eventually undo that code. was out of commission for more than all in 90 days would have its city license revoked. In cases when a new permit Just as Casino Royale’s regulatory was requested, that period could be problems overtook it, some city extended, or “tolled,” by the city’s staffers and elected officials appeared finance department for up to six to want to keep it alive and dealing, months. documents show.

According to a spokeswoman for During the same period that the department, a representative to Casino Royale’s gaming license was explain the rules of the permit wasn’t suspended by the city, it had also available for comment. submitted a request to Sacramento According to his report to the city officials to relocate yet again, this time council, Sacramento Revenue Manager to Little Saigon Plaza at 6790 Stockton Brad Wasson refused to give Casino Boulevard. The move was prohibited Royale that six-month extension when while its city and state licenses were the state shut it down because he found revoked, so—despite the legal battle other parts of its relocation request between its owners—Casino Royale “incomplete.” officially appealed both revocations.

Nonetheless, Blanas’ attorney Ken According to a city staff report, the Bacon told council members on April Finance Department put the issue on 14 that six months wouldn’t be enough hold until Casino Royale moved past time, anyway, for any card room to its problems with California regulators. deal with all of the city’s regulations In April, the state’s gambling for moving. Casino Royale might control commission settled its regain both its licenses, but it could complaint against Casino Royale.

According to records from that settleCONTINUED ment, Casino Royale’s ownership ON PAGE 10

Sacramento County officials aren’t fully committed to keeping children alive, relinquishing their share of the responsibility to an overworked, understaffed agency, an influential oversight committee determined in its latest annual report.

The Child Protective Systems Oversight Committee unveiled its latest temperature-take on the beleaguered Child Protective Services agency August 9 to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Along with carrying over a finding from last year—that too many social workers lack critical thinking skills and don’t ably coordinate with their partners in law enforcement, hospitals and schools—the report opined that the county lacked a sense of urgency for stopping the deaths of children from abuse and neglect.

“This community-wide commitment appears lacking in Sacramento County,” the report states. “We recognize that a continued lack of adequate attention and resources means these deaths and critical incidents will continue to happen.”

That damning assessment came courtesy of a subcommittee that examined eight incidents from 2015 that each led to a child’s death or near-death. The children ranged in age from 11 weeks to 10 years. In one case, CPS wasn’t alerted when a parent was admitted on a psychiatric hold, leaving her child with the boyfriend who ultimately killed the child. (Raheem F. Hosseini)

Judge not lest ye Be audited After more than five decades of unquestioned existence, a state judicial oversight agency will finally be audited.

Members of the California Legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee ordered the inquiry last week into the california commission on Judicial Performance, which has a slow, lenient track record when it comes to uncovering judicial misconduct.

“This is a huge first step,” said Tamir Sukkary, an adjunct political science professor at American River and Sierra colleges in Sacramento and a member of a coalition that has been calling for stricter oversight of the CJP. “We really had to work for it.”

Just this year, the CJP publicly disciplined Sacramento County Judge Jaime r. roman for abusing his authority on multiple occasions over several years. But that kind of action is rare.

Of the 1,245 complaints the commission fielded last year, only two resulted in public admonishments. Another 37 judges were privately admonished or received advisory letters. The average length of time to dispose of a complaint was more than three months.

Sukkary is hoping the audit looks into these issues, as well as the panel’s spending habits, strict closed-door policies and general responsiveness to the public. Sukkary worked with an advocacy group called Court Reform LLC that requests more transparency in judicial proceedings, including cameras in the courtroom and electronic document filing.

Sukkary believes the group’s months-long calls for a state audit were swept up by a populist outcry in June, when Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky meted out a lenient sentence to convicted rapist Brock turner.

“The timing was good for this,” Sukkary said.

Both the First Amendment Coalition and Sacramento branch of the NAACP joined Court Reform LLC’s demand for an audit. Its founder, Joe Sweeney, says he was recently ordered to serve 25 days in jail on a contempt finding by a Contra Costa Superior Court judge whom the CJP has disciplined multiple times, Sukkary said.

“There’s a possibility, at least, that this could be retaliatory,” Sukkary said. (RFH)

“BAD BET”

08.18.16 | SN&R | 9

“BAD BET”

continued from page 9

lose its city license again if the permits or public hearings around the Stockton Boulevard move proved time-consuming.

Casino Royale was still technically afoul of the very rule Bacon mentioned at that council meeting.

A month after Bacon’s comments, city council voted to have the card room’s bid to regain its city license reviewed by an administrative hearing examiner at McGeorge School of Law, who’d brokered a settlement by June for the license to be reinstated. Documents from that ruling don’t reveal the examiner’s reasoning, though Sacramento officials showed their own hand.

A draft of the settlement from the City Attorney’s office reads that Sacramento officials were agreeing to give the license back “to preserve the existence of the City’s fourth authorized card room.”

The document raises questions about whether it was more important for the city to keep Casino Royale in business than let it fall victim to gambling safeguards.

Yet it’s the city council’s actions on April 14 that had to be re-reviewed by the state gambling commission. That’s when the council followed Blanas’ advice to extend the amount of time a card room could be nonoperational without losing its city license from six months to 21 months. In the case of Casino Royale, it was Sacramento’s previous code that triggered the suspension of its city license and would have remained a roadblock to reopening on Stockton Boulevard.

Despite the fact that Casino Royale’s minority owner was still actively suing its majority owner for alleged fraud and mismanagement, and that the card room faced another lawsuit from members of the United Auburn Indian Community, claiming it runs illegal gambling—and despite the card room’s history of license revocations—at least one council member acknowledged he was casting his vote to help Casino Royale.

During the April 14 meeting, District 2 Councilman Allen Warren said that relaxing the rules would “allow more flexibility as it relates in particular to the Casino Royale case.” Warren may have been holding the prospects for Casino Royale and the region’s other gambling dens closer to the vest than he revealed.

10 | SN&R | 08.18.16

Records from Sacramento’s Elections Department document that Warren had already received $2,100 in campaign contributions from Capitol Casino and the owners of Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Within weeks of voting to ease restrictions against gambling halls, Warren received new campaign contributions of $500 from Capitol Casino and $250 directly from Blanas.

Warren didn’t return messages for comment.

Six other council members voted with Warren, including District 8 Councilman Larry Carr, who said during the hearing he’d toured one of the city’s card rooms and found it to be clean and professional. Three weeks after the vote, Carr also received a $600 campaign contribution from Sacramento’s Capitol Casino.

District 1 Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who also voted to change the rules, received a $2,000 campaign contribution the same month from Communities for California Cardrooms, an organization headed by Clark Rosa, the owner of Capitol Casino.

Ashby didn’t respond to SN&R’s request for comment.

By June the cards were on the table: Casino Royale was moving forward with its Stockton Boulevard plan in Councilman Eric Guerra’s District 6, though its owner and other gambling interests had given money to Warren’s campaign, whose district Casino Royale first left on Auburn Boulevard.

Understanding the ante It’s 4 a.m., and bettors are hunched over mini arenas of action at Capitol Casino on North 16th Street. Several tables are packed shoulder to shoulder along the edges of the main room, and three more are filled with insomniac luck seekers. The air is filled with the rhythmic jangle of chips contacting before they slide—a faint, everpresent soundtrack, like maracas moving decks along or people betting to the clink of toy rattles.

This is the operation Rosa’s been running for years, a clean, well-lit landscape of uniformed security guards, with speakers switching between country music and dance hits of the 1990s.

As Carr and District 3 Councilman Jeff Harris said at the April hearing, there’s no signs of scams or shenanigans from the shadowy ranks of racketeering.

Five hours from now, the Limelight Bar, Cafe and Cardroom will open in East Sacramento. Similar to Capitol, the card room’s a tidy joint. Both card rooms have full-time security, but not as much as the Parkwest Casino Lotus, a gaming destination at 6010 Stockton Boulevard.

If Casino Royale reopens in south Sacramento, it will give Stockton Boulevard two gambling operations within a mile and a half of one other. For neighbors and law enforcement, that equals twice as many late-night card players walking to their vehicles near the boulevard, and hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in two caged rooms between the businesses.

The concerns go beyond safety, too. Nancy Xiong, an organizer with the South Sacramento grassroots group Hmong Innovating Politics, says she thinks gambling halls and casinos are already harming the large South Asian-American community around Stockton Boulevard.

“The casinos really hurt our families,” Xiong said. “They target our elders, many of whom feel isolated, or are already dealing with mental-health issues like PTSD from escaping the war in Vietnam and having the refugee experience.

They may see gambling as a way to escape their problems, but often it ends up exacerbating those problems.”

Guerra did not respond for comment on the District 6 impacts.

And the opportunity for such problems just keeps growing.

New changes to Sacramento’s gaming code have upped the number of poker tables that card rooms can have from 15 to 17, and also clarified that the betting limit in the city is $1,000 per bet, rather than per hand—the distinction meaning a single player can work multiple spots on one table.

Gambling critics, who may want to revisit these changes with Sacramento’s incoming mayor, Darrell Steinberg, will have to make peace with the $61,000 he’s received from gambling interests, including several thousand from Communities for California Cardrooms.

If Casino Royale reopens in south Sacramento, it will give Stockton Boulevard two gambling operations within a mile and a half of one other.

A representative from Steinberg’s office said the mayorelect was out-of-town and unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, card room proponents continue to stress the community benefits of their operations. When Rosa addressed the council in April, he emphasized that Capitol Casino employed 202 people. When the Limelight’s and Lotus’ payrolls were factored in, Rosa continued, card rooms provided more than 500 jobs in the city.

Rosa warned such benefits might end if Sacramento’s officials didn’t give card room owners maximum flexibility to compete with California tribes and card rooms in Rancho Cordova and Folsom.

“We’re already, in the entire area, the only ones that have a $1,000 limit, when everyone else has no limit,” Rosa testified.

Rosa didn’t respond to SN&R’s request for further comment.

Each of the council members who voted to change the gaming code offered varying comments about wanting to take the pulse of Sacramento’s four licensed card rooms owners. That included Harris, Guerra and Councilman Jay Schenirer, the three supporting the change who didn’t take money from those very stakeholders after the vote.

District 4 Councilman Steve Hansen was the lone voice of dissent back in April. (Mayor Kevin Johnson had already ducked out of the meeting.) Hansen expressed concerns that the council was encouraging gambling, and

doing so simply because business owners like Rosa and Blanas asked them.

“We regulate [gambling] directly,” Hansen pointed out.

“This notion that instead of making a decision, which is our legislative power, we would delegate that legislative decision to a group of stakeholders … saying, ‘Let’s not make a decision, let’s turn it over to the stakeholders so they can make it for us,’ so we can just take that decision spoon-fed—that doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Hansen’s remarks drew a direct response from Ashby.

“While I appreciate the civics lesson in what local government does, it’s important to include our stakeholders,” she told Hansen, adding that if council did not change Sacramento’s gaming rules its card rooms might be forced to close.

“It’s not going to stop people from gambling, it’s just going to stop them from using our businesses in Sacramento,” Ashby challenged.

Before getting out-voted on the alterations, Hansen wondered aloud why every council member using the term stakeholder was referring exclusively to card room owners, rather than addicted gamblers or impacted neighborhoods.

“This is simply a process that’s being driven by the very people who benefit most from it, and that’s not a fair process,” Hansen said. Ω

Helping you dig safely “I work every day to protect the safety of our community and PG&E’s gas pipelines. I’m passionate about my work and the safety of our neighborhoods because this is where my family lives.”

JAMIR DIXON

Whether you’re a contractor working on a major job site or a homeowner planting a tree in the yard, no job is too small—always call 811 at least two working days before you dig. One simple call gets underground utility lines marked for free and helps protect you from injury and expense.

Promoting the 811 program is just another step we’re taking to ensure the safety of our gas system in your community. Visit pge.com/811.

Call 811

Get marked

Dig safely

pge.com/811

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2016 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. Paid for by PG&E shareholders.

Gas Fieldperson

08.18.16 | SN&R | 11

EXOTIC

PLANTS P TS

A flawed protector

SALE Buy 1 plant, get

Sacramento officer’s personal troubles take center stage in deadly police shooting of Joseph Mann

40% off

by Raheem F. hosseini

2nd plant of equal or lesser value In-store only.

No double discounts.

Some exclusions apply.

Expires 8/31/16.

Vote for us in Best of Sacramento at BESTOFSAC.COM

916.922.4769

exoƟcplantsltd.com

1833 Howe Ave Sacramento, CA

FREE DRY WHEN YOU WASH

drop off laundry | delivery service | jumbo capacity | free WiFi ample parking | kick-ass stereo | plenty of laundry carts | credit/debit card readers bicycle parking | ATM machine | change machine | friendly staff | tons of TV’s

DAVIS & SOUTH SAC LOCATIONS COMING SOON! 2907 W. Capitol Ave, West Sacramento • 916-372-1432

916.469.9840 2431 K Street • Sacramento www.lovelaundry.com

Open Everyday • 5am-Midnight (last wash @ 10:30pm)

12 | SN&R | 08.18.16

Attorneys for a mentally troubled man gunned down by police last month say one of the officers who shot him was plagued by his own demons.

The veteran officer, identified by the Sacramento Police Department and court documents as John C. Tennis, was one of two police officers who shot Joseph Mann at least 16 times during a July 11 encounter in north Sacramento, according to a federal lawsuit, after police received reports of an armed subject acting erratically.

Mann’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against Tennis, fellow Officer Randy Lozoya, the Sacramento Police Department and the city, and is seeking an unspecified monetary amount in damages as well as an admission of wrongdoing.

According to an amended federal complaint filed last week, Tennis was temporarily stripped of his ability to carry a firearm in 2011, when an El Dorado County judge granted his then-wife’s restraining order request based on her allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. SN&R also uncovered two civil complaints against Tennis from earlier in his career, one of which alleged excessive force.

Civil-rights attorney John L. Burris revealed the new information during an August 11 press conference outside the federal courthouse in Sacramento.

Flanked by his co-counsels and Mann’s family members, Burris insisted the restraining order and a later internal affairs investigation into Tennis’ alleged alcohol abuse made the officer unfit for duty and should have resulted in his termination prior to his confronting Mann that summer morning on a patch of sidewalk between a saloon and tattoo parlor on Del Paso Boulevard.

“That’s the tragedy of this,” Burris told reporters. “This officer and the department’s conduct toward him has contributed to the death of this man, and it shouldn’t have happened.”

Burris used the press conference to renew his calls for the police department to release any video evidence documenting the events that ended the life of Mann, whose mental state spiraled following the 2011 death of his mother, his family said.

So far, one shaky cellphone video recorded by a bystander has surfaced. Covering the two minutes leading up to Mann’s death, it depicts Mann standing in the middle of the street, bending at the waist and karate-chopping the air. Two patrol SUVs face him, their passenger doors open with officers standing behind them and pointing their guns. Mann turns and walks to the sidewalk

r a h e e mh @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

as the SUVs trail behind. Officers on foot quickly close the distance between them and Mann. The cellphone camera drops as a rapid succession of gunshots ring out.

Mann’s family and their attorneys claim the video shows Mann was unarmed at the time of his killing, but it’s difficult to make out from the jittery, distant footage. But the video also doesn’t support the police’s claim that Mann turned aggressively toward officers before they opened fire.

“They brutally murdered my brother, and they need to be held accountable,” said Robert Mann, who told SN&R he wanted criminal charges brought against the officers.

Burris said he didn’t know if the officers involved in the shooting were outfitted with body cameras. Funding was secured late last year for a pilot program that could provide the department with 400 body cameras, seperate city documents show. Burris and his co-counsels say they are interested in any and all footage, as patrol cars are equipped with dashboard digital recorders and a stopped light-rail train may have also captured some of the incident.

Burris said the police department’s intransigence to releasing footage is hurting its credibility. “I’ve turned down cases after I’ve seen the video,” he said. “There’s no reason not to let the family see the video.”

A police spokesman previously told SN&R the department’s policy prevented it from releasing video evidence to the public, which includes the relatives of victims of police shootings.

But the central revelation from last week’s press conference had to do with Tennis, a 25-year veteran of the department whose dissolved marriage has become a matter of public discourse.

During a 2011 divorce proceeding, Tennis faced allegations of violence and child abuse, and was served with a temporary restraining order that prohibited him from possessing a firearm or ammunition, the amended federal complaint states.

Tennis only got his gun back after he and his department asked El Dorado Superior Court Judge Kenneth Melikian to grant Tennis an exemption so he could continue his employment as a Sacramento police officer, documents show.

“The Sacramento Police Department is unable to re-assign Officer Tennis to another position where a firearm is unnecessary,” a letter signed

SN&R

Vote Now! AT BESTOFSAC.COM The of

by then-Deputy Chief Sam Somers, the police chief, says in support of Tennis’ request.

Burris said Tennis shouldn’t have been allowed back on the force, certainly not with a gun, after being served with a restraining order. “There was a reason the judge [ordered] that he could not have a gun,” Burris said. “He can’t have a gun at home, but he can have one on the street. … That should not happen.”

Restraining orders are generally considered in two phases, said John E.B. Myers, a professor at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. First, a petitioner requests what’s called an ex-parte temporary restraining order, or TRO. That’s just paperwork in which the judge decides whether the allegations are serious enough to support the initial order until an evidentiary hearing can be held with both sides present. That’s what Tennis received, and the order was ultimately lifted, an attorney for the Mann family confirmed.

Rick Braziel, the former Sacramento police chief, who now serves as inspector general over the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, said that most law enforcement agencies, including Sacramento’s, will terminate employees whose restraining orders are upheld on violent grounds.

“By John Tennis getting his weapon back, the judge would have had to determine that there was no cause for domestic violence,” Braziel said. “Otherwise, John Tennis would have been fired.”

The police department released a lengthy statement following the August 11 press conference, essentially saying it wouldn’t comment on the ongoing lawsuit.

Following announcement of the lawsuit, SN&R found two civil cases in which Tennis was named as a co-defendant. Both cases were filed in Sacramento Superior Court, though “He can’t have few other details were available.

In 1998, Tennis was one of a gun at home, but seven police officers named as he can have one on the a defendant in a civil complaint street. … That should filed on behalf of 11 plaintiffs, six of whom shared the same last not happen.” name. The circumstances of the John L. Burris case and its resolution were not civil-rights attorney immediately available.

Two years later, Tennis was sued again, this time with one other officer.

The plaintiff’s attorney in the case, Roosevelt O’Neal Jr., told SN&R he believed the lawsuit accused the officers of using unreasonable force against his client, Lovell Sturgis Brown, a registered sex offender. O’Neal said he could no longer recall the details of the lawsuit, but thought it resolved in a settlement.

Like Mann, Brown is African-American.

Meanwhile, two years after Tennis’ brush with family court, in 2013, he was in trouble again, this time with the department.

According to a document provided by Burris’ law firm, the Sacramento Police Officers Association settled an internal affairs disciplinary case against Tennis with the city, which allowed him to avoid a one-week suspension by attending classes and researching alcoholism. As part of the agreement, Tennis was required to read the books Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement and Who Helps the Helper?, the settlement document states. Ω

An earlier version of this story appeared at www.newsreview.com/sacramento/pageburner.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 13

Birding Valley the

SeptemBBer 10-11 Septem

2016

Come and enjoy the birding in Sonora Pass and the Antelope Valley!

Your entry donation gives you the chance to catch a birds eye view of the variety of birds there are to see in Coleville, Walker, and Topaz, CA. Package includes Guided Walks, and 2 Breakfast for your $25 donation.

Eastern Sierra Kite Festival September 17-18, 2016

Antelope Valley Fire Dept. on Larson Lane Walker, California 10:00am – 4:00pm $3 per person / $5 per family

How the gold rush evolved into a foodie rush

Berkeley Kite Wranglers • Kite Demos • Kite Contest Build Your Own Kite • Horseshoe Tourney Vendors • Food • Bounce House • Music

Call 530-208-6474 to register Visit us at www.NorthernMonoChamber.com for iNforMatioN oN lodgiNg & rV parks.

Dining Sponsored by the Northern Mono Chamber of Commerce, Mono County Tourism & local merchants. Proceeds go to the NMCC Community projects.

www.MonoCounty.org 800-845-7922

Sponsored by the Northern Mono Chamber of Commerce

For more info or to be a festival vendor, call 530.828.0826

Do you have type 2 diabetes?

Are you taking metformin but still find it hard to control your blood glucose?

We are looking for people to join a clinical research study. The study will help us learn more about a potential new treatment option (an investigational medication) for people with type 2 diabetes who are receiving metformin.

You may be able to take part in the study if you: • are 18–70 years of age, inclusive • have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes • have been taking metformin (at least 1000 mg/day) for at least 8 weeks.

If you are eligible and choose to take part, you will be in the study for up to 18 weeks and will have about eight visits to the study center.

There will be no cost to you to take part in the study.

Want to know more?

If you would like more informatio, please contact Allied Clinical Research 916-281-2252 or AlliedClinical.Org 14 | SN&R | 08.18.16

Harvest change by jeff vonkaenel

After the gold rush petered out and we stopped building railroad cars, Sacramento started seeing itself as less of a city and more of a geographical midpoint between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.

And then came farm-to-fork.

We discovered that our geographical midpoint had some of the best soil, a year-round growing season and some of the world’s best produce. And we also have an ever-increasing number of talented individuals who can slice and cook that beloved produce in mouth-watering ways. Yesterday’s gold rush has given way to today’s foodie rush. A rush on specialty food items, a rush on restaurants and a rush on local pride.

This foodie rush was the subject of last week’s Sacramento Metro Chamber’s “The State of Agriculture—Growing Our Economy,” featuring Agriculture Policy guru Jim Wiesemeyer, along with a panel of homegrown experts including farmers, professors and government officials.

The basic message was, “Happy days are here. Yields are good. Better food is coming. Sales are up, and our national reputation is growing. But the foundation of farm-to-fork is very shaky.”

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a whole region with farmers, government, our universities and the weather working together to grow our agriculture. And here is where we may have problems.

We can count on UC Davis to provide the necessary research to make farms more efficient, improve our yields, and reduce our dependency on water and other resources. But after that, things get dicey.

First, the weather. While the hot weather that our plants love will certainly continue, water is a problem.

We were depleting our groundwater even before the drought. And our population continues to increase— bringing more people who want to drink water and take showers.

je ffv @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Then there is the government.

While the government is constantly criticized, the idea of getting it out of agricultural policy is absurd. It is like getting the government out of banking.

Much of California’s agricultural success comes as a direct result of the government’s water programs and from the crop subsidies in the U.S. Agricultural Act of 2014—a.k.a the Farm Bill.

California has the most agricultural and environmental regulations of any state in the country, according to Wiesemeyer. But it is a delicate art creating effective government regulations that protect the environment, protect the workers, while also protecting the farmer’s profits. And the legislative and regulatory process is anything but delicate. It is crude.

While the government’s role in farming policy goes back to the days of Thomas Jefferson, Wiesemeyer pointed out that Donald Trump has dramatically increased fears of a government-led agricultural disaster.

In his calm, Midwestern voice, Wiesemeyer told us that 60 percent of America’s farmworkers are in the country illegally. Without this labor force, how can farming continue in America?

And then there is China. The USDA reports that China is now purchasing 20 billion dollars of United States agricultural products each year.

Many experts believe that Trump’s policies would start a trade war with China. This would be frightening.

The idea of farm-to-fork seems simple. The farmer grows it and we eat it. But if our Sacramento foodie rush is to continue everyone will need to play their part— farmers, the government, our universities and the weather. It takes a whole region to bring us farm-to-fork. Ω

Jeff vonKaenel is the president, CEO and majority owner of the News & Review.

WHITE LINEN EVENT 08/20/16

’S mento SacraerS and winn S—with loSer ry pointS ra arbit

P R E presents SENTS

6pm-11pm

Safety net Salary After six years of UC Davis’ Linda Katehi spending $407,000 of university funds to “get off the Google” following that notorious 2011 pepper spray incident, the controversial chancellor finally got served justice. Katehi stepped down from her position, but will “transition” into a spot as a professor in the university’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as with the Interdisciplinary Program of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. Oh, and she’ll also receive a golden parachute that amounts to $424,360. Nice work, if you can get it.

$40

TICKE

-831,360

W E S T S ACR AME N T O CI T Y HALL G ALLE R I A | 1110 WE ST CAPI T OL AVE , WE ST SAC, CA

(916) 428-8203 | www.100BlackMenOfSacramento.org

no vaccination, no education

Quitting Business Sale!

illUStration by Serene lUSano

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District sent 145 students home on August 12—the district’s first day of school—because they lacked proof of vaccination. The Sacramento Bee reported 72 kindergarten and 73 eighth grade students were turned away until they could provide immunization documents. Vaccination became the law for everyone in California schools in 2015 after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that eliminated religious and personal belief exemptions.

-145 fewer pharmacy tripS, ladieS!

• NEW BALANCE • ARAVON

Suffering from two-party exhaustion and still on the fence about your November ballot plan for the 45th U.S. President? This past weekend at a Sacramento hotel, the Peace and Freedom Party sent Gloria la riva to the ballot to battle with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. La Riva, also a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, beat out nominees Monica Moorehead (Workers World Party), Lynn Kahn (no party affiliation), and Jill Stein (Green Party) in the first-ever all-women field.

+3

• ECCO • MUNRO

• ORTHO FEET

• DANSKO

• ORTHOTICS

• VIONIC

• PLUS MORE!

LE!

+365

• FINN COMFORT

SA

ply could come to an end if Senate Bill 999 passes. The bill would require insurers to cover a 12-month supply. SB 999 author Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, calls the current regulation antiquated as few adjustments have been made since the birth control pill came to market. Says Pavley, “Women are smart enough to carefully administer and use these drugs appropriately.”

ALL ITEMS ON SALE! • KLOGS

Ballot BuSter

Laws that limit a woman’s access to birth control in California to a 30 or 90 day sup-

TS

FUNDRAISER FOR YOUTH 100 PROGRAM Poetry | Raffle | Dancing | Dinner | Comedy | Silent Auction

PARKING LOT SALE BIG DISCOUNTS • PRIZE CONTEST SAT, AUG 13 • 8AM-NOON (NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED)

10AM-6PM MON-FRI, 8AM-6PM SAT • CASH • VISA • MASTERCARD • DISCOVER

08.18.16 | SN&R | 15

The never-ending sTory One writer’s jOurney tO the shetland islands reveals humanity, clarity and peace 16 | SN&R | 08.18.16

STORY AND PHOTOS bY SaSha abramSky

Late in the afternoon of the day my parents and I arrived in the Shetland Islands, a pony attacked our rental car.

The Shetland Islands’ natural, rugged beauty, shown here at the isle of Bressay, is preserved, in part, because it’s largely immune to throngs of tourists.

We had stopped to take some photos, on the drive back to our hotel from the epic cliffs of Eshaness, and a group of the hairy little ponies took umbrage at our presence. One, slightly braver than the rest, slowly approached our vehicle, opened its mouth to reveal a row of browning, flat herbivore teeth, and promptly started using those ivories to scratch at the paint of the front door. Unsatisfied with his handiwork, he walked around to my side of the small sedan and, before I could drive off, started chomping, repeatedly, on the door handle.

When I told the rental agency, the woman started laughing. She had lived in the Shetlands her whole life and this was the first time she’d heard of a pony biting a car.

The Shetland Islands, an archipelago of roughly 100 rocky, YO u ca N wa l k fO R windswept, isles 200-plus miles north H O u RS a N D S E E of mainland Scotland, are the northernmost juST a HaNDful Of part of Great Britain. p EO p l E ; S O m E TI m E S , They’re closer to Norway than to I f YO u ’ R E l u c k Y, N OT Scotland, Viking outposts that became E V E N T H aT H a N D f u l . a part of Scotland just over half a millennium ago, gifted as part of a marriage dowry between Norwegian and Scottish royalty. Many of the houses, especially on smaller islands such as Unst, reached from the main island by a series of small ferries, look Nordic, with steep roofs coming down low to the ground. Many of the place names sound Scandinavian.

I had decided to take my parents to the Shetlands to celebrate their upcoming 50th wedding anniversary. My thinking was somewhat along the lines of the disembodied narrator in the old Monty Python TV shows: “And now for something completely different.”

We took the train up from London to Aberdeen, whiled away a few hours in a rather bleak station pub and then embarked on a 12-hour overnight ferry from Aberdeen northeast to the little town of Lerwick, perched roughly in the middle of the largest, most populous island in the chain. In the small, windowless cabin, late at night, which the three of us slept in after a three-course dinner in the ship’s restaurant, followed by a sunset walk up on deck, one could sense the strong swell of the ocean rising and falling beneath us. It alternated between being soporific and disconcerting.

The Shetlands are, indeed, completely different. They’re as remote as one can get in Western Europe, and, consequently, despite their stunning beauty, as immune from a large influx “THE NEVER-ENDING STORY” of tourists as possible. At any one continued on page 19 time, on the entire archipelago there

08.18.16 | SN&R | 17

18 | SN&R | 08.18.16

“thE nEVEr-Ending Story” continued FRoM page 17

are probably only a couple thousand outsiders. And that’s at high season.

You can walk for hours and see just a handful of people; sometimes, if you’re lucky, not even that handful. Even at the small museums, such as the one attached to the beautiful 19th century Sumburgh Head lighthouse, on the southern end of the main island—complete with the original World War II radar station that was designed as an early-warning system against incoming Luftwaffe aircraft on missions to raid Royal Navy vessels in ports off of the Scottish mainland— you’re unlikely to see more than a couple other families.

As a result of all of this emptiness, as you experience one wonderful place after the next, you feel like you’ve accidentally stumbled on a treasure chest, something secreted away by generations past that only you now know about. There are stone brochs in the Shetlands, the remains of Neolithic towers and fortresses that are thousands of years old, glimpses into a distant, distant, past. With nobody there to tell you off, you can clamber on these ancient walls and play like children amidst the ruins.

There are uninhabited islands, too, such as St. Ninian’s—connected, in summer, to the main island by a narrow “tombolo” sand causeway, cut off in winter by the furious waters—where one can spend a day walking atop the ancient cliffs, and watching the birds soaring on the air currents over the raging waters.

One is far up in the north Atlantic here, in waters patrolled by killer whales.

The sun, when it shines through gaps in the clouds, stays high until very late in early August, and the sky is huge.

The wind hits you hard, unrelentingly, making it feel far colder than it actually is. The slate-gray architecture of Lerwick is austere, self-sufficient, a no-nonsense presence.

On the west side of Shetland, a 40-minute drive from the hotel where we stayed for three nights, are the magnificent cliffs of Eshaness, sheer drops from the green, sheep-and-pony populated expanses, into the roiling Atlantic below.

Puffins and terns, Arctic skuas, grouse and numerous other rare birds populate the rocks of these cliffs, soaring over the waters looking for food. There are no fences here; no warning signs. If you step wrong, you’d be falling through the void, heading down toward the rocks as fast as the gannet birds do their vertical drops into the water once they spy a vulnerable fish below. And so you walk carefully, aware of your surroundings, aware of the unforgiving power of nature.

The lighthouse at Sumburgh, on the southern end of the main island, still houses its original World War II radar station.

E xp l o r i n g th E S h E tl a n dS i S a m E d itati o n , a S E r i E S o f d E E p b r E ath S t h at bot h d r aw yo u i n to yo u rS E l f a n d h E l p yo u S E E th E wo r l d o u t S i d E .

NothiNg lasts forever There’s something humbling about all of this. The remote, stark beauty. The Viking ruins on bluffs overlooking wild beaches—remains of stone houses and farm walls, community gathering spots, religious centers—amongst which flocks of sheep now wander. The crofters still

living in houses miles from each other.

The influences, in place names, of ancient languages and rites now long since vanished from the Earth.

This is just one little archipelago, in one small corner of this wondrous world.

It is one small part of the human story.

And yet, it would take many lifetimes to even begin to familiarize oneself with all of its mysteries.

It’s an antidote to the Twitterverse, of bluster and of exclamation points, of crass boasts and meaningless claims to omniscience.

Nobody can know everything about everything, or everything about one country, or one moment in time, or even just one particular problem. And anybody who claims that they are the only person who can tackle the world’s woes singlehandedly is either a fool or a charlatan, a person ignorant of the complexities of life and too blinkered to be curious about all the varying ways of interacting with landscape and culture, with nature and with history.

Since, when I’m not travel writing, I spend much of my time writing about politics, the past eight or nine months have, for me, been uniquely discomforting. It’s not just that I don’t like Donald Trump; it’s that I find the Trumpist moment to be uniquely philistine—a world reduced to 140-character clichés and to cartoonlike hyperbole. That so many millions of Americans respond positively to a man who rides roughshod over any notions of complexity and diversity fills me with dread. That so many people flock to a false prophet who prides himself on his ignorance, who delights in his lack of interest in other countries, other cultures and other moments in time makes me want to curl up in a ball and pull the covers over my head.

When one travels, one sees the kaleidoscopic patterns of life, configurations continually reimagined. What was life like for those Viking settlers, 1,500 years ago, on the island of Unst? How did those British radar monitors pass the time during World War II when they weren’t looking for incoming enemy planes?

What does a crofter see when he surveys his green, damp, windswept land, and his flock of wondering sheep?

Exploring the Shetlands is a meditation, a series of deep breaths that both draw you into yourself and help you see the world outside. Away from the hustle and bustle, away from the inanities of the moment, it’s a way of regaining an equilibrium and regrasping a calmer perspective on life.

Nothing lasts forever. The Viking ruins, stone remnants set against stone cliffs, are testament to that. Good things fade into the past, as too do bad. Perhaps, eventually, the bad simply become the stuff of myths: stories of ogres and monsters who once upon a time breathed their fiery halitosis on the world they trampled, and who, at long last, were brought low by their own hubris. Ω Sasha Abramsky is a Davis-based writer.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 19

PHOTO BY DARIN BRADFORD

By KrIs HOOKs

From left: Demetris Washington, Isaiah Williams, Saul McCoy and Brandon Alexander in front of Broadway Coffee.

A freestyle cAnvA cAnvAs nv s nvA How four artists improvised with sudden bursts of inspiration to transform an Oak Park coffee shop

20 | SN&R | 08.18.16

CommenCe slurping see DrinK me

25

TalKing Trump

see CoolHunTing

It was just after midnight on a Tuesday in May, and the corner of Broadway and 32nd Street smelled like wet paint and weed.

Local artists Demetris Washington, Brandon Alexander, Isaiah Williams and Saul McCoy stood on the corner watching paint dry, deciding the next step in completing a mural on the walls of Broadway Coffee in Oak Park.

Suddenly, Washington, who uses the artist name BAMR, strapped on a respirator mask, picked up a can of spray paint and went to work on the left corner of the building. Minutes later, after completing an outline, he picked up a new can and worked on the details of the character’s coffee-cup head.

“I think that’s my favorite part [of the mural], because I literally came up with that the night we started painting,” Washington said weeks after the project was finished. “We didn’t have any ideas for that corner. …

The stuff that I actually planned, I didn’t really like as much as that one.”

In May, the four artists started collaborating on the mural, two months after a group of Kennedy High School students with the after-school program Target Excellence had started painting another wall of Broadway Coffee as a community service project.

The other three artists watched on as Washington turned a maroon-colored wall into the makings of the mural’s first character, which, much like the rest of the art, is vibrant and coffee-related. The sudden burst of inspiration set off a wave, and minutes later the others followed suit, working well into the night, finally wrapping up around 3 a.m.

“Once you get somebody’s tempo or speed, it’s kind of like freestyling on a beat or something,” McCoy said of the process. “Once somebody just steps up and hops on, you get their flow, then you ride the joint, then it becomes four different people on the same cypher.”

The project started before the artists even met.

Williams had already begun working on the mural on the coffee shop’s 32nd Street side with his longtime friend Meleah Campbell and a group of students she mentors with Get Your Hustle On, a college-readiness program run through the nonprofit organization Target Excellence.

In March, Broadway Coffee co-owner Jimmy Gayaldo had told Campbell and her Target Excellence colleagues that he was calling around to area schools to get kids to paint the shop. After several of the high schools turned Gayaldo down, Campbell said she could get her students out to do it. Weeks later, a small group of her students from Kennedy High School spent a couple of days laying the foundation for something bigger.

29

rural alien planeT vibes see sounD aDviCe

“Most of the kids have never painted before, so it was cool to get them to try something new, especially during their spring break when they’d usually probably just be hanging out,” Campbell said.

With help from Williams, the students transformed a once white wall into a mural complete with buildings, trees and a bright orange sun on top of a sky blue with green, red and yellow stripes above. The group also added a large mug spilling coffee out into the city.

Fast-forward to May, and the coffee that originally spilled into the city, now flowed in a river into the Sacramento Valley instead. It was one of a few changes that Williams made to the mural’s design.

“ We didn’t really have the full idea completely together before we started painting, we just knew we wanted to start.”

Demetris Washington muralist

Later, as a separate project, two local artists GoopMassta and R2Romero replaced the old Broadway Coffee banner that hung above the students’ work with two new painted characters. And in time, Williams says, two more artists will put the finishing touches on the 32nd Street wall.

“As an artist, you never know what you’re going to come across as far as canvases. So when somebody hands you a canvas like this … I just saw it as an opportunity to spread the love, you know?” Williams said.

In the weeks leading up to the first day of painting, the artists met a few times and came up with options to present to the shop’s co-owner, Charles Bergson.

35

THe Color of HisTory

see fifTeen minuTes

63

Sticking to the plan, however, proved to be a bit of an issue.

“A lot of the end result was a freestyle,” Washington said, laughing. “We didn’t really have the full idea completely together before we started painting, we just knew we wanted to start.”

By noon the second day, the blank maroon canvas was gone. Washington was working on his second character on the top right corner of the building, Alexander was painting on his signature clouds that would ultimately help tie the project together and McCoy was spraying the outline of his character between the shop’s large windows.

By day three much of the work on the front of the building was done, save for the little details in Washington’s and McCoy’s characters. The coffee-head character got some new additions—light bulbs floating over its head—and the shop’s white door was painted by GoopMassta to look like ice cubes and coffee splashing on the bottom. Eventually, even the shop’s mailbox was painted over.

Throughout the week, Alexander, who goes by the artist name BRNDN ALXNDR, and Washington completed the final side of the building near the adjacent vacant lot. It was painted the same maroon color, with only the “Broadway Coffee” tagging left alone.

Alexander’s colorful clouds, Washington’s cartoonish depiction of a mug spilling coffee, and a light-bulbpowered hot-air balloon were added to the mix.

The end result has appealed to more than just the artists and the shop’s owners. Feedback from the community has been encouraging, too, Alexander said, with many passersby and customers pointing out the positive impact that four black men painting a mural could bring to Oak Park.

Alexander, who grew up in Del Paso Heights, one of Sacramento’s most impoverished neighborhoods, understands the bearing he and his fellow artists have on the community. Growing up in a struggling community like Del Paso Heights or Oak Park, it was unusual for a person of color to get such a chance.

“It’s so far-fetched that that’s even possible for somebody from these areas that [residents] can’t believe it,” Alexander said.

It’s not just about the opportunity, he added. It’s about the impact.

“It’s definitely a necessity, especially for [communities like Del Paso Heights and Oak Park], that people can identify with the artists,” he said.

To McCoy, it’s about the influence that the four of them have on the kids in the area—especially a group of school kids who got excited when they saw the mural going up.

“That was like the icing on the cake, because, like, we’re big kids anyways. I mean, spray cans are just bigass crayons,” he said. “So to see the kids was just like, ‘Wow.’ It was full circle, because I remember when I was little and seen somebody doing that, I would want to go pick up [a paintbrush].” Ω

Check out the Broadway Coffee mural at 3200 Broadway.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 21

upcoming events UPCOMING EVENTS

the original line up is back!

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRIDAY, AUG. 19, 2016 7PM THUNDER VALLEY AMPHITHEATRE

CULTURE CLUB with special guests

INFORMATION SOCIETY

GILMORE HEATING AIR SOLAR C

O

N

T

R

A

C

T

O

R

S

WORLDONEPRESENTS.COM

LDONEPRESENTS.COM

GILMORE

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE THUNDER VALLEY BOX OFFICE, TICKETMASTER.COM, OR WORLDONEPRESENTS.COM HUNDER VALLEY BOX OFFICE, TICKETMASTER.COM, OR WORLDONEPRESENTS.COM HEATING AIR SOLAR C

O

N

T

R

A

C

T

O

R

S

22   |   SN&R   |   08.18.16

TICKETS AVAIL

FOR THe Week OF AUGUST 18

Pet Portrait Workshop thurSday, auguSt 18 Your pooch is your pride and joy, so Rover needs a portrait on the wall, too. The Professional Photographers of the PHOTOGRAPHY Sacramento Valley are hosting a workshop to help you learn the best practices for getting man’s best friend’s good side. Plus, puppies! $95-$125, 9 a.m. at James Trapp Photography Studio, 9 Tananger Court; (916) 741-8727; http://ppsv.org/workshops.

—Lory giL To say that there are two kinds of people in the city—those who are excited about the “sloppily colouredin picture of Piglet” sculpture by Jeff Koons (that’s shade from the fancy-art folks at Phaidon, not me) and those who think it’s an 18-anda-half-foot shiny turd with an absurd price tag of $8 million—might be a little reductive. As evidenced by the smashing success of Art Hotel earlier this year, the major incidents in the city’s art scene are only somewhat dictated by rich people with questionable taste.

Further proof: This week, the city becomes the canvas for the first Sacramento Mural Festival, which kicks off on Saturday, August 20 and runs through the following Saturday, August 27. Twelve muralists—some local and some arriving from as far away as Portugal—will be painting 12 new murals throughout the city over the course of the

week. Artists include Jake Castro, the artists behind the mural on the front of the aforementioned Art Hotel; renown Los Angeles-based artists Risk and Drew Merritt; and Kristin Farr, hailing from San Francisco, to name a few.

Looky-loos will be encouraged, and there will also be opportunities to attend panels and discussions about the state of the local arts scene. For the grand finale, ArtJam is going down on the top of the parking garage at 21st and L streets from 7 to 10 p.m. There will be popup art installations, attendees will create interactive art, and there will of course be food and drinks.

It’s a fundraiser for local arts education, so know that your $100 ticket (or two tickets for $175) is going to a good cause. Otherwise, the rest of the festival is free. Find out more and buy tickets for ArtJam at www.sacramentomuralfestival.com.

Bike-In Movie: Jaws Friday, auguSt 19 Bike on down to the Sacramento Hostel this Friday and check out the Hollywood classic that set sharks back decades in public approval: Jaws.

Moviegoers can enter a $5 raffle for a FILM night in the VIP suite or put their rides up for the Bike Beauty Contest (with prizes). If you’re hungry, grab a meal from the Roaming Spoon.

Free, 8 p.m. at HI Sacramento Hostel, 925 H Street; www.sacramentohostel.org.

—davE KEmpa

StocktonCon Saturday, auguSt 20 The 5th Annual StocktonCon will provide myriad opportunities to be 7 years old again for at least a couple of hours. Artists, actors, writers COMICS and lovers of all things sci-fi, video game and fantasy will abound. If I went, I’d spend the night in the arena. Is that allowed for an extra fee?

Anyone? $13-$18, 10 a.m. at Stockton Arena, 248 West Fremont Street in Stockton; http://stocktoncon.com.

—dEEna drEwiS

—EddiE JorgEnSEn

Banana Festival Saturday, auguSt 20 and Sunday, auguSt 21 Bask in the glory of the world’s most popular fruit this weekend with a 5K fun walk, a Little Mr. and Miss Banana Pageant and more. Keep in mind the luxury of this bounty; bananas were under serious threat this previous winter due to a rampant fungus.

FOOD Long live the Cavendish. $8-$10, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Shasta Community Park, 7404 Shasta Avenue in Elk Grove; www.sacbananafestival.com.

—dEEna drEwiS

Sacramento Zombie Walk Saturday, auguSt 20 Sixteen years ago, Sacramento had its very first Zombie Walk, it was the first Zombie Walk ever, anywhere. The Carnival of the Dead precceeds the Zombie Walk. The Zombie Walk starts FeSTIvAL at 7 p.m.. After, there will a screening of Army of Darkness. Free, 4 p.m. at Roosevelt Park, 1615 9th Street; http://saczombiewalk.com/.

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH HANSEL

—aaron CarnES

08.18.16 | SN&R | 23

T wisted

hes grilled sandwic melts sides

feat. “The Hemi”

nominated Best Food T ruck vote for us at www.bestofsac.com drewski’s restaurant & food truck 5504 Dudley Dr • McClellan, CA Open M-F 11am-3pm • 916.640.1333 Find the Food truck // Follow us at:

INSTAGRAM CONTEST!

Win a $50 Gift Card to Lucca every other week this summer starting July 11th!

1. Take a photo inside Lucca 2. Post to your Instagram Make your reservation today (916) 669-5300 • LuccaRestaurant.com #luccawhaticando #luccarestaurant Contest ends Sept. 5th

24 | SN&R | 08.18.16

3. use #luccawhaticando 4. One winner every two Weeks!

IllustratIons by Holly GerHarD

Pasta flashback tAgLiAteLLe, ObO’ itALiAN tAbLe & bAr The first time I ever went to Ella Dining Room & Bar, I ordered the pappardelle topped with a poached egg.

Back then, the put-an-egg-on-it idea wasn’t ubiquitous yet. The yolk mixing with fresh pasta and lemony butter felt like a revelation. Turns out, Nancy Selland’s dish was debuted at the Kitchen before becoming a short-term staple at Ella. Now, a simpler—and, at $10.50, much cheaper—version is available at OBO’, with crispy shards of prosciutto and eggy tagliatelle.

With all that butter, it is quite rich, but try your best to save room for a cream puff. 3145 Folsom Boulevard, http://oboitalian.com.

—JANeLLe bitker

Koreans ferment best rice teA, PeArLS

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Tea to door

by Janelle Bitker

Caffeine delivery: Tea sommelier Leo Hickman’s Classy Hippie Tea Cafe just switched to “Classy Hippie Tea Co.” No longer is his focus on a retail brick-and-mortar—although he hopes to open a Midtown spot next year—rather, tea delivery.

Last week, Classy Hippie launched a membership program. You can get two customized teas—“sommelier blends”—delivered to your door each month for $30 per month, and at other membership tiers, you can potentially sip for free at Classy Hippie’s upcoming cafe inside Capsity (2572 21st Street). Hickman describes it as a similar setup to the Trade, except Classy Hippie will offer a full, members-only lounge starting in September.

Nonmembers can go around the corner to Classy Hippie’s new

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

location (2600 21st Street), which Hickman and business partner Mike Shaldone transformed into a bright and clean tea shop in just one week out of what used to be Buffalo Pizza & Ice Cream’s storage space. Classy Hippie’s other location inside Green Valley Theatre (3823 V Street) will remain open, but the new spot is the flagship and will serve brewed tea to-go once it gets its permits in order.

More beer: Rubicon Brewing Co. expanded its production into West Sacramento not too long ago, and it added a taproom (885 Stillwater Road, Suite 100) last week.

It’s a small, no-frills space to get your Monkey Knife Fight fix and actually feels a bit like an office, with visible partitions and fluorescent lighting. Still, you can enjoy one of

four beers available on draft, fill up a growler or grab some brew to-go.

Capitol idea: Prolific restaurateur Chris Jarosz is working on “farm-toCapitol” cuisine.

The Sacramento Bee first reported Jarosz (Broderick Roadhouse, Localis, Saddle Rock) will take over the food service spaces inside the Capitol.

Details about the main restaurant, located on the lower level, arrived last week: it will be called Statehouse and it will open in early 2017.

According to a press release, the space will be a hub of pizzas and sandwiches made with ingredients sourced from local farms. The chef will be Dan J. Watterson, most recently chef de cuisine of Le Diplomate, a brasserie in Washington, D.C. Bye: Just when SN&R gives Revolution Wines a positive review, largely due to the ambition of its chef Teddy Gibanov, Gibanov decides to bail. He left last week for a gig at the Golden 1 Center. Ω

Pearls is a small, adorable and independent boba shop, with an emphasis on quality, loose-leaf teas.

With that in mind, the menu is much much shorter and simpler than your standard boba tea spot, but there is one unusual offering: sikhye ($4), a Korean rice tea. Cooked rice, spices and water ferment for 24 hours, resulting in a sweet, mild tea with light toasty, malty notes. On the bottom of your cup, a slurry of rice sits—potentially mingling with boba for 50 cents extra—and awaits your active slurping. It’s a fun, refreshing drink on a hot day. 2264 Fair Oaks Boulevard, www.pearlsboba.com.

—JANeLLe bitker

Drought Shame ALMONDS Yes, they use water to grow, just like every other fruit and nut plant out there. While they are the secondlargest crop by acreage in California (ahead of grapes!), they’re well behind alfalfa and pasture lands in thirstiness. Since we grow 100 percent of the almonds in the United States, they’re a big boon to the state economy.

And—oh yeah—they taste good. Hikers and campers count on nuts like almonds for quick energy and high protein. Bakers love them for their beauty on cakes and pastries. Eat your nuts and stop watering that lawn instead.

—ANN MArtiN rOLke

08.18.16 | SN&R | 25

50% 0FF Buy Buy 1 1 adult adult BuFFet BuFFet and and 2 2 drinks drinks get get 2nd 2nd adult adult BuFFet BuFFet 50% 50% oFF oFF

original coupon only • no copies

1 coupon per table. not for parties of 10 or more. cannot be combined with any other offer. expires 9/1/16.

SACRAMENTO

1402 Broadway 916.930.0888

CITRUS HEIGHTS

5623 Sunrise Blvd.

916.961.6888

Sun-Thurs 11am -10pm • Fri & Sat 11am -10:30pm

PARTY ROOMS AVAILABLE • NOW SERVING BEER & WINE

China Buffet

chinabuffetrestaurant.com

Eat, drink coffee, repeat

by Ann MArtin rOlke

Old Soul Co.

in the other flavors. Extra points for a neat idea, though.

Unfortunately, the scones ($2.50 each) suffer the fate of most of their kind in the U.S. That is, they’re 1716 L Street, (916) 443-7685 really triangular muffins and not sweetened biscuits.

812 21st Street, (916) 443-6340 The lemon-poppyseed fared better than a version 3434 Broadway, (916) 453-8540 with strawberries, which gummed up the texture.

After breakfast, enjoy the free wifi and stick Dinner for one: $6 - $12 Good for: real meals with coffee around for lunch. Try their take on the classic Notable dishes: breakfast sandwich, red pepper hummus Cuban sandwich ($9), with a judiciously-dressed mesclun salad on the side. We enjoyed the moist shredded pork, ham and cheese. It’s griddled flat and has a nice tang from thinly sliced pickles. Eat Diners have been doing it for decades: a cup of it hot, though; it doesn’t taste as well-orchestrated joe with breakfast, lunch or dinner. as it cools.

Upscale restaurants seek out local roasters for their Old Soul’s Caesar salad ($7) shows thought in brews, but most coffee houses offer little more than its presentation, with bite-size pieces of romaine and muffins, cookies and scone-like baked goods. Why? good sourdough croutons. The dressing doesn’t overOld Soul Co. has been unique in its marriage of whelm the lettuce and benefits from fresh Parmesan food and coffee ever since its beginning 10 years on top. ago. And about a year-and-a-half ago, owners Tim If you order the grilled cheese ($7.50), be Jordan and Jason Griest brought on executive chef forewarned that it contains sautéed spinach and Charlie Harrison, most recently of Cafe Vinoteca. sliced tomato as well as brie, Swiss and Cheddar Harrison has been tinkering with the menus cheeses. Harrison describes it as “an adult since he started, changing them every version,” but traditionalists may freak month or so. Head baker Jan Perkins at the greens. The cheeses match well joined even more recently. with house focaccia, though, and Old Soul’s There are three locations seem lightened by the vegetables. strength lies in the currently: the original L Street Afternoon coffee goes well alley warehouse, the Weatherstone with their extra-large chocolate simple fact that it coffee house and the 40 Acres chip cookies ($2.50 each), availoffers real food with shop in Oak Park. All serve similar able with or without nuts. They’re their coffee. menus, with special brunch items crunchy, rather than chewy, and featured each weekend. Not only can buttery rich. you find the usual pastries, but also full There’s no separate dinner menu, breakfasts, hot sandwiches, snacky sides but Old Soul’s kitchens stay open through and light salads. the evening. Get beer at the Weatherstone or 40 Though Harrison is introducing new ideas, some Acres locations and pair it with red pepper hummus of Old Soul’s biggest successes have already been ($8). The dip, while silky smooth, seems a bit overaround for a long time, such as the popular breakfast priced with only crostini on the side. sandwich ($6.50). Layers of omelette, hyper-ripe Old Soul’s strength lies in the simple fact that tomato, red onion and cheese make for a large it offers real food with their coffee. Fortunately, mouthful on the housemade English muffin. You most of the food is better than average, with a few can add roasted veggies, bacon or sausage, and it all stand-outs. comes schmeared with avocado for a healthier take Jordan and Griest plan to open three more on the McMuffin. outlets within the next year, including a wine bar in The quiche ($7) changes daily, but we tried one Oak Park and a full-service restaurant on R Street. with roasted pork, chiles and an intriguing addition Hopefully the new locations will offer similar value of nectarines. While the flaky crust held up admiraand quality with the occasional unexpected twist. Ω bly—no easy feat for quiche—the fruit disappeared

HHH

ROSEVILLE

1132 Galleria Blvd #120 · Roseville, CA 956748 · 916-774-0707

NATOMAS

3620 N Freeway Blvd #310 · Sacramento, CA 95834 · 916-246-9049

ARDEN

1310 Howe Ave #D · Sacramento, CA 95825 · 916-246-9443

916.3868599 | 5301 Power Inn Rd, Sac, CA 26 | SN&R | 08.18.16

come get your

Food truck mayhem A Food Network-style culinary competition has been underway at Sacramento breweries this summer for the second annual Fantasy Food Truck Showdown.

Presented by Beers in Sac, the tournament has already seen two rounds of food truck chefs preparing dishes based on mystery ingredients for hungry, beer-guzzling crowds. An added curveball? The dish must also pair well with a certain local beer. The finale takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 19 at Yolo Brewing Company (1520 Terminal Street in West Sacramento) between Cali Love Food Truck, Cecil’s Taste Food Truck and Voyager World Cuisine. If you care about the standings, those trucks beat Dojo Burger, the Pasta Queen and North Border Tacos. There’s no cover to enjoy the spectacle, but you must pay to eat: $25 for five small plates and a beer or $15 for three small plates and a beer. More at www.beersinsac.com.

—Janelle Bitker

CRAFT BURGER

Farm-to-fork gourmet burgers

Save up to

Niman ranch beef family farmed, fresh vegetables

75% on local dining, shops, & events!

open 11-9 daily • 1407 howe ave. sac, ca • 916-564-6300

THE

Thai Food & gluten free options MIDTOWN

NOW OPEN:

Coconut on T 1110 T Street

SNRSWEETDEALS.NEWSREVIEW.COM

HAPPY HOUR

4:30-6pm

$3 Appetizers, House Wine Draft Beers

Moringa in the morning—or whenever

By Shoka Is moringa going to be the next kale, quinoa or acai? The next superfood that yogis toting burlap bags dump into green smoothies? Time will tell.

But for now, the South Asian plant, also known as the drumstick tree, is known for being extremely nutrientdense and growing prodigiously in poor, drought-afflicted soil. All parts of the plant can be eaten; especially pleasant are the leaves as a caffeine-free tisane. It’s a chocolatey, smoky and toasted-grain flavor.

Moringa is high in protein, calcium,

iron, vitamin C and is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory source used “as medicine … to prevent or treat over 300 diseases,” according to the National Institutes of Health.

Kuli Kuli, Organic India and Miracle Tree have moringa in powder form (for those smoothies, namaste) and tisanes (Kuli Kuli makes energy bars and energy shots, too). Pregnant women, however, take note: It “appears to have the potential to induce abortions,” according to Examine.com.

delivery by:

.com

10 beers on tap @ coconut on t!

08.18.16 | SN&R | 27

pleaSe vote

vote for perfecto!

Best sPot for Beer! vote @ BestofsaC.Com

e availabl for s banquet

Best Steakhouse

351–9100 • 604 Sutter Street Downtown Historic Folsom www.sutterstreetsteakhouse.com

Food & Drink Best place to Best tacos

perfecto lounge

Chando’s Tacos La Favorita Taqueria La Fiesta Taqueria La Rosa Meat Market La Soga Taqueria La Venadita Jimboy’s Tacos Nixtaco Swabbies Taco Fresco Tako Korean BBQ Taqueria & Pupuseria Isabel Taqueria Espinoza Taqueria Garibaldi Taqueria Jalisco Taqueria Maya’s Taqueria Rincon Alteno

PLEASE VOTE

- BEST SPOT FOR SANDWICHES -

! e t o V

cigars | wine | brew 973 Pleasant Grove Blvd | roseville, Ca | (916) 783-2828

Best new restaurant

1417 R Street, Sacramento, 95814 www.aceofspadessac.com ALL AGES WELCOME! TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

P-LO

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

SOLD OUT!

SOLD OUT!

28 | SN&R | 08.18.16

GET OUT THE

8351 Elk Grove Blvd #100 • Elk Grove, CA • 916.685.4587

Binchoyaki Coconut’s Fish Cafe Fish Face Poke Bar El Bramido Mexican Restaurant & Bar Empress Tavern Hawks Public House Iron Horse Tavern La Venadita Localis Metro Kitchen + Drinkery Milestone Nixtaco Noodles to Thai For OBO’ Italian Table & Bar Railbridge Cellars & Co. Skool on K TableVine Taqueria La Bamba Veg Sail Inn Grotto & Bar Naruto Show Me the Sushi

sip wine

58 Degrees & Holding Co. Cabana Winery The Grand Wine Bar Matchbook Wines Old Sugar Mill Perry Creek Winery Putah Creek Winery Railbridge Cellars & Co. Revolution Wines The Rind Seka Hills Underground Cellar VINI Wine Bar Whired Wine Wine & Roses Wise Villa Winery

Best place for Breakfast Awful Annie’s Cornerstone Cricket Country Kitchen Eggies Restaurant Finnegan’s Public House Harry’s Cafe Jim Denny’s Lucky Cafe Mr. Perry’s Pancake Circus Serrano’s Cafe Venita Rhea’s Waffle Experience

Arts & Entertainment Best Big screen Crest Theatre Davis Varsity Theatre Esquire IMAX Theatre Tower Theatre West Wind Sacramento 6 Drive-In

BESTOFSAC.COM

FIND OF THE WEEK

SN&R

Vote Now!

PHOTO COURTERY OF BUMP CITY REUNION BAND

Future’s so bright

trump talk trump: the archiveS

—rachel leibrock

Going deep the underground railroad

—Jeremy WinSloW

The

—kel munger

To prep for its October grand opening, downtown city officials have scheduled myriad events near the Golden 1 Arena to build up hype.

One such happening is Sacramento Sun Fest, a two-day festival that organizers have billed as “the largest outdoor solar power and energy festival” in the region.

The theme is “Power to the People”—with the aim to gather the energy of both the sun and the people in one space. It takes place at Cesar Chavez Festival Plaza where the goal will be to educate consumers on topics such as solar power, sustainability, renewable energy, cost and environmental impact.

To help get the message across, Sacramento Sun Fest’s roster features live music from acts such as Tower of Power tribute band, Bump City ReUnion Band (pictured; the band’s name comes from Tower of Power’s 1972 album, by the way) and guest speakers such as mayorelect Darrell Steinberg, who will discuss the connection between renewable energy resources and downtown Sacramento.

Absorb the sun’s energy via demonstrations and community outreach from solar experts and educational seminars, along with resource information booths for any questions. Oh, and food—of course. $10, children are free; 11 a.m. Saturday, August 20, and noon Sunday, August 21; 910 I Street; www.sacsunfest.info.

Hoppy Brewing Company • McConnell Estates Winery • Bogle Winery • Moniz Family Wines • Matchbook Wine Company • Jardesca • Mt. St Joseph • Liquidology • Mettler Wines • Rubicon Brewing • Kombucha Kulture • Raley’s • Nothing Bundt Cakes • The Melting Pot • Plate's • Booker T. Catering • Chicago Fire • Culinerdy

August 20th 10AM-7:30pM

August 21st 10AM-5pM

of

Yes, it really is that good. Many of Oprah Winfrey’s book club picks are longer on sentiment than substance, but in the case of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad: A Novel (Doubleday, book $26.95), the talk show host has given her followers a brilliant novel from the Toni Morrison of the next generation. Whitehead, who’s been writing really good novels for a long time (see his 2010 book Zone One for the best literary zombie novel ever), moves into a mash-up of brutal and magical realism in this examination of the seeping wound that is America’s history with slavery. Cora, a young enslaved woman, decides to run away—and there is no doubt about having good cause for it—but in Whitehead’s reimagining, the Underground Railroad is a real railroad that is underground. By turns beautiful and gruesome, Whitehead’s novel is exactly like our country.

Sacramento Sun FeSt

AT BESTOFSAC.COM

Those looking to stay sane this election season (too late?) should visit Owen Ellickson’s Twitter account to browse through the “Trump: The Archives” series. Each tweet is imagined as a conversation between the presidential nominee and another GOP higher-up—typically Paul Ryan or Chris Website Christie. The dialogue, which read like the script from an absurdist two-man play, is at once hilarious and depressing as hell: “RYAN: Your son Eric said some pretty bad stuff about sexual harassment.

TRUMP: OK. Want me to disavow him?

RYAN: TRUMP: Happy to disown, too.”

Ellickson is a writer and producer whose credits include The Office, Superstore and The King of Queens, but this political “parody” may prove to be his greatest contribution to society ever. https://twitter.com/onlxn.

Raley’s • Nothing Bundt Cakes • The Melting Pot • Plate's • Booker T. Catering • Chicago Fire • Culinerdy Cruzer Trader Joes-Folsom • Paul Martins American Grill • Kasbah Lounge • Il Fornaio • Fahrenheit 250 BBQ •Mikuni • Obo’ Italian Table & Bar• Burgess Brothers • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. • Hoppy Brewing Company • McConnell Estates Winery • Bogle Winery • Moniz T H E Family Wines • Matchbook Wine Company • Jardesca • Mt. St Joseph • Liquidology • Mettler Wines • Rubicon B I G Brewing • Kombucha Kulture • Raley’s • Nothing Bundt Cakes • The Melting Pot E• V Plate's E N T• Booker T. Catering • Chicago Fire • Culinerdy Cruzer • Trader Joes-Folsom • Paul Martins American Grill • Kasbah Lounge • Il Fornaio • Fahrenheit 250 BBQ •Mikuni • Obo’ Italian Table & Bar• Burgess Brothers • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. •

New locAtioN:

shAstA pArk 7404 shAstA Ave // elk grove Banana split contest // Banana Arts & Murals // live Music 30 Different Banana foods // Banana smash chef challenge

www.sacBananaFestival.com get exclusive discounts on sweetdeals while supplies last!

08.18.16 | SN&R | 29

30 | SN&R | 08.18.16

ReviewS

Now playiNg

4

Antony and Cleopatra

Morals on the high sea

by Jeff Hudson

Shakespeare’s play is as much about the scandalous love affair between Marc Antony (Ryan Snyder) and Cleopatra (Imani Mitchell) as it is about the Roman Empire after the death of Julius Caesar. Zachary Scovel, Michael O’Sullivan and Steven Campbell are among standouts in a cast that delivers perhaps the most naturally spoken Shakespearean dialogue you’re likely to hear. Th, F, Sa 8pm. Through 9/3. $10-$16. Big Idea Theatre, 1616 Del Paso Boulevard, (916) 960-3036, www.bigideatheatre.org. J.C.

3

Al and Homer: The Drone Play

“do you have something for seasickness?”

The Last Lifeboat

4

the Last Lifeboat, 8 p.m. friday and saturday, $12-20 or $54 for a “family Pack,” good for two adults and two children). Main street theatre Works at the kennedy Mine amphitheatre, 1127 North Main street in Jackson. www.mstw.org. through september 10.

For its latest production, Main Street Theatre Works turns to a historical drama. The Last Lifeboat tells the story of J. Bruce Ismay, head of the company that built the Titanic. Ismay was on the ship and when the Titanic struck an iceberg, Ismay opted to take a vacant seat as the last lifeboat.

The play depicts Ismay from childhood to old age.

Characters include the ruthless investor J.P. Morgan (who wants more high-revenue first class cabins on the ships—something that results in fewer lifeboats) and the scandal-mongering newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

The script, by Luke Yankee, but the show frames Ismay’s moral dilemma quite nicely: no one else was in line when Ismay stepped onto the lifeboat—and if he had remained on deck and gone down with the ship, the gesture would not have saved any of the Titanic’s other passengers. But Ismay was widely vilified, and spent the rest of his life atoning—hounded by reporters, and denounced as a coward, even as he raised money for shipwreck survivors.

Actor Eric Craig deftly sketches Ismay as a quiet businessman caught between profit-seeking investors and the deadlines to get the big ship (“the world’s largest floating object”) launched. Another 10 actors play multiple roles as the play gives a kaleidoscopic view of the disaster’s impact over decades.

Director Julie Anchor depicts the actual sinking primarily through sound—we see the horrified faces of survivors on the lifeboat as they hear the screams coming across the water as the Titanic disappears beneath the waves. It’s a gripping theatrical moment, even though everyone knows it’s coming. Ω

Photo courtesy of Magic theatre Works

4 A Grand Night for Singing It’s hard to fault the Fair Oaks Theatre Festival production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook musical A Grand Night for Singing.

During a recent production there were some sound issues and some errant lighting cues that detracted somewhat from an otherwise exhilarating production. A live band provided fine accompaniment.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II contributed many classic musicals over the decades, including Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, and South Pacific, among many others. This revue includes songs from each of those as well as tunes from such lesser known musicals as Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Deane Calvin, so assured on stage, seems to nail it every time. Torch song or ballad or as part of a trio (with Brittni Proffitt and Leah Frazier) performing “I’m Going to Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” she is excellent. Jonathan Blum and Zane Boyer, both singularly and together, are outstanding. They possess strong, supple baritones that do justice to everything from “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to “We Kiss in a Shadow” and “My Little Girl.” There’s humor in the production, too, frequently provided by Joe Hart and Corey Winfield via “Stepsisters’ Lament” from Cinderella, for example.

—Jim Carnes

a grand Night for singing, 8 p.m. friday, saturday and sunday. $18. fair oaks theatre festival, Veteran’s Memorial amphitheatre, 7991 california avenue, old fair oaks Village in fair oaks; (916) 966-3686; www.fairoakstheatrefestival.com. through september 18.

Janet Motenko as a Puck-like clown stands out in this otherwise uneven show about two Air Force pilots with vastly differing opinions about the drone program, sitting together in a building on the Nevada desert tracking potential terrorists on the other side of the world. As the play progresses, their individual opinions put each other—and the world at

1 fouL

large—in grave danger. The play expose the apathy of the American people, but doesn’t pack the punch it intends. F, Sa 8pm; Su 2pm.

Through 8/21. $15-$18. California Stage Theatre, 2509 R Street; (916) 606-5050; www.ovationstage.com. B.S.

3

Every Brilliant Thing

B Street Theatre regular David Pierini serves as storyteller, stand-up comic (and emcee) of this one-man show about a young man’s relationship with his depressed mother.

He responds by creating a list of “brilliant things” to highlight the brighter side of life. This subject matter notwithstanding, this is a frequently funny and (on the whole) uplifting monologue, with some audience participation thrown in. Th, F

some fiction, the tragic life and mysterious death of the iconic American author. The production features a beautiful set, great costumes, wonderful puppets, and above all, an outstanding cast. F, Sa 8pm; Su 7pm. Through 8/28. $18, Green Valley Theatre, 3823 V Street; greenvalley theatre@yahoo.com. B.S.

short reviews by Jim carnes, Bev sykes and Jeff hudson.

8pm; Sa 5pm and 9pm; Su 2pm; Tu 6:30pm; W 2pm and 6:30pm; Through 9/18. $23-$35.

2711 B Street; (916) 443-5300; www.bstreettheatre.org. J.H.

4

Nevermore

This is the West Coast premiere of a daring and unique musical telling, in fact and

2

3

4

fair

gooD

WeLL-DoNe

5 suBLiMe– DoN’t Miss

Kick off those sunday shoes.

Photo courtesy of the WooDLaND oPera house

Tear up the town Only a terrific cast and wonderful dancing could make a hit out of this rather silly show. But, under the direction of Crissi Cairns and choreography of Kevin Gruwell, that’s what the Woodland Opera House has done just that in this take on the 1984 Kevin Bacon classic of the same name. This story of a small town whose minister has banned all dancing following a tragic accident that took four lives seems unlikely, as does the arrival of a lonely teenager who changes the town forever. But add a lively cast, and one can’t help but be charmed.

7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $7-$25.

Woodland Opera House, 304 Second Street in Woodland, (530) 666-9617, http://www.woodlandoperahouse.org/. Through September 14.

—bev sykes

08.18.16 | SN&R | 31

riginal Sacramento’s O

D SHAVEW SNO e!

A Blissful Bit

Laika rock

VAMPIRE PENGUIN 907 K STREET (SAC) SHAVED SNOW & DESSERTS

/VampirePenguin916

Ingredients matter Angus Beef & Fresh Buns Delivered Daily

Kubo and the Two Strings

superb

“Is this uniform by Nike?”

Burger • Fish & Chips 8399 Folsom Blvd, St. 4 Sacramento, 95826 916.381.2020

FRESH & Homemade

COOKING KITCHEN | BEER | WINE

M-TH 11-9 | FRI 11-10 | SAT 10-10 | SUN 10-2

2107 P ST

•

916.440.9611 • www.AdamosKitchen.com

Your Downtown Service Shop SMOG CHECK

3175

$

(reg $49.75) most cars.

Call for details. Same day.

Fast In/Out

OIL

CHANGE

2699

$

Call for details.

916 554-6471 2000 16th St Sacramento M-F 7:30-5:30 Sat 8-4 sacsmog.com

32 | SN&R | 08.18.16

$60 EMISSIONS DIAGNOSTIC w/repairs at time of service. (reg $120) most cars.

For renewal reg. only.

Call for details.

Use your smart phone QR reader for more specials

4

Laika CEO and President Travis Knight makes his feature directing debut with Kubo and the Two Strings, an ambitious stop-motion animated fantasy adventure set in ancient Japan. It concerns a would-be storyteller who finds that the wild tales of magic his mostly catatonic mother told him are all true, tragedies wrought by a repressive, “cold, hard, perfect” father figure.

This is where it should be noted that Laika is owned by Travis’ father Phil, a co-founder of Nike and one of the richest men in the country.

I’m not sure if or how to apply that information, which pretty much sums up everything good but not great about Kubo. It feels like the film could (or should) be a deeply personal work, but it’s also a nonspecific tangle of narrative, cultural and thematic threads, alternating between an alluring mysticism and a pedagogic tendency toward overexplanation. There’s a little too much clutter in the story and not enough urgency, and the whole of Kubo ends up as less satisfying than the sum of its setpieces.

But what jaw-dropping setpieces! A skyscrapersized skeleton with swords embedded in its skull; giant underwater eyes that hypnotize their prey; a boat constructed from leaves and driftwood; a temple magically arising from the water. Starting with a thrilling and poetic prologue set on a moonlit, storm-tossed sea, Kubo proceeds to take your breath away every few minutes, even as the film keeps dropping more rules, back stories,

By Daniel BarneS

explanations and stories within stories within stories into the mix.

After that excellent prologue, the film establishes Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson) as a small-town minstrel, a good-natured, one-eyed boy who tells his stories through origami figures brought to life by a magical guitar. Back home, Kubo’s mother spins stories of a horrible family legacy involving witches, betrayal, a heroic dead father, a stolen eye and an evil, all-powerful Moon King (Ralph Fiennes, of course), stories that are proven true when Kubo flouts a rule about staying out after dark.

On the run from the Moon King and his daughters, Kubo embarks on a quest to retrieve his father’s armor, protected only by a sardonic monkey (Charlize Theron) and a samurai beetle (Matthew McConaughey), both of whom resemble figures from Kubo’s past. For all the mishmash of the plot, Kubo ultimately lands on an easy, one-sentence homily, but no matter the tonal and structural quibbles, the film is recommendable based solely on the number of shots that will live with me forever.

Those gorgeous images are rendered with Laika’s usual flawless design and state-of-the-art animation, with the macabre house style and tone left largely intact from Coraline, Paranorman and The Boxtrolls. Kubo doesn’t quite live up to those previous efforts, but it’s still funny and weird and an all-around visual marvel. It’s the fourth Laika film and their fourth good one, making them the most reliable bet in the world of animated features now that Studio Ghibli is shuttered and Pixar is obsessed with sequels. Ω

It’s the fourth Laika film and their fourth good one.

1 2 3 4 5 Poor

Fair

Good

Very Good

excellent

fiLm CLiPS

2

ON GOLDFIELD TRADING POST! Anthropoid

Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan star as resistance fighters who parachute into Occupied Czechoslovakia at the height of World War II with a mission to assassinate high-ranking Nazi General Reinhard Heydrich in the underwhelming Anthropoid (coincidentally, the upcoming HHhH, starring Mia Wasikowska and Rosamund Pike, covers the exact same ground). Based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, this offering from director and cowriter Sean Ellis (Cashback) dishes out moldy drama leavened with thrilling action, although the war scenes unwittingly evoke the waris-hell bloodlust of the Inglourious Basterds movie-within-a-movie Nation’s Pride more than anything else. It’s all over the map—the first half of Anthropoid is almost unbearably stodgy and polite, and then suddenly everyone’s getting their limbs and faces graphically blown off. As for the performances, Dornan proves that his wooden performance in 50 Shades of Grey was no fluke, while the talented Murphy is trapped without a character. D.B.

3

Indignation

Best known for writing or co-writing nine of Ang Lee’s films, James Schamus makes his feature directing debut with this adaptation of Philip Roth’s 2008 novel. Logan Lerman stars as Marcus Messner, an intellectual Jewish atheist teenager who avoids the Korean War by attending a small Ohio college.

Anti-Semitism, sexual repression, communistera paranoia and emotional insecurity swirl indistinguishable into a tornado of adolescent angst for Marcus, especially when he gets involved with a complicated female student played by Sarah Gadon. Indignation feels like the work of a writer turned first-time director: it’s patient and actor-friendly (the centerpiece scene is an 18 minute-long standoff between Marcus and the judgmental Dean played by Tracy Letts) with some novel-like dimensions, but the emphasis is placed on construction and texture at the expense of pace, momentum and visual language. The performances hold it together, including a scene-stealing turn from Linda Emond as Marcus’ mother. D.B.

3

Jason Bourne

Fugitive former spy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is still scouring the world for clues to his true identity. Meanwhile, the CIA, with nothing else to do and showing a go-everywhere-and-see-everything efficiency that the agency only has in movies like this, plots to find and kill him. Director and co-writer (with Christopher Rouse) Paul Greengrass returns after a four-year hiatus in the Bourne franchise, which was enough to coax Damon back as well. Following the convoluted story is getting to be more trouble than it’s worth, but Greengrass holds our interest with some high-adrenaline action scenes—including a climactic chase through Las Vegas that appears to kill bystanders by the hundreds (though not enough to jeopardize the PG-13 rating). Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent Cassel co-star. J.L.

3

BY DANIEL BARNES & JIM LANE

Nerve

A meek Staten Island teenager (Emma Roberts) impulsively joins an online game where players win cash for accepting dares; as the game progresses, the prizes get higher and the dares get more and more dangerous. Jessica Sharzer’s script (adapted from Jeanne Ryan’s novel) grows necessarily more far-fetched by the minute, eventually climaxing in a lecture on the dangers of peer pressure that practically flashes “Author’s Message.”

But directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman set a lively, suspenseful pace, aided by Madeleine Gavin and Jeff McEvoy’s razor-sharp editing. The movie’s not-so-secret weapon is the sympathetic Roberts and her chemistry with costar Dave Franco as a fellow player.

Emily Meade adds surprising depth to her role as Roberts’ BFF; other supports are good but tend to blur together. J.L.

Goldfield Trading Post Gift Certificates:

12 50 $25 value for $12.50!

$

Don’t Miss The Josh Abbot Band @ Goldfields (09/14).

Tickets only $7.50 at snrsweetdeals.newsreview.com!

To get great deals on concerts with sweetdals at Ace of Spades, Goldfield Trading Post and Harlow’s

SNRSWEETDEALS.NEWSREVIEW.COM

Sing a terrible little song.

3

Florence Foster Jenkins

Meryl Streep stars as the notorious socialite and musical dilettante whose terrible singing made her a legend among the patronizing cognoscenti of 1940s New York. Streep is as brilliant as ever, and in his more subdued way, so is Hugh Grant as her devoted companion and manager St. Clair Bayfield. But the movie tries to have it both ways, inviting us to guffaw with ridicule, then trying to shame us into admiration. Nicholas Martin’s script strikes almost as many false notes as Florence ever did (e.g., Earl Wilson was a nightlife columnist, not a music critic; and Bayfield was a professional actor, not a hammy amateur). With the aid of director Stephen Frears, Streep rises above her text and manages to earn the sympathy Martin so clumsily demands for her. J.L.

4

Pete’s Dragon

The Disney film brand has been mired in an existential identity crisis of late, obsessed with sequels and remakes but fixated on re-examining traditional roles and institutional values. All that self-conscious re-branding leaves little room for old-fashioned Disney magic, and up until this year, the studio’s spate of live-action remakes of animated chestnuts has proved a dry well of pixie dust. That’s why it’s almost shocking that director and co-writer David Lowery’s genuinely magical Pete’s Dragon carries the Disney label. There is such a purity of vision to this thing, such a warm storybook vibe, and such a scarcity of the usual family entertainment pitfalls that it feels like the film was made in secret. There was little in Lowery’s previous work (he edited Upstream Color, produced Listen Up Philip and directed Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) to suggest he could summon the Disney magic, but Pete’s Dragon is his proof. D.B.

2

Sausage Party

3

Suicide Squad

On the shelves of a supermarket, all the food items—frankfurters, buns, mustard jars, ketchup bottles, etc.—wait eagerly for the day they’ll be chosen by some shopper and transported to the “Great Beyond”—never suspecting that their true fate is to be chopped, cooked and eaten. Some of the jokes in the script are profanely funny (just imagine the double entendre possibilities of wieners sliding into buns) and the novelty of a raunchy adults-only cartoon has a naughty charge. That’s good for about 15 minutes, then all this food reaches its sell-by date and grows stale; the characters and story aren’t engaging enough to fill 89 minutes.

Seth Rogen co-writes and provides a star voice, with other voices by his usual gang of buddies: Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, etc. J.L.

even flinches. A screenwriter turned director who excels at stories of violent group dynamics (Fury; Sabotage), Ayer probably squeezes the most disreputable fun into this PG-13 film as he was allowed. Yet all of the symptoms of the disease are still present: a surplus of origin stories, supervillains with nebulous motivations, and a choppy plot forced to serve too many masters.

Suicide Squad spreads so thin that it only makes time for one layer of character development, even for the characters we actually come to care about. There is so much universe-building and overexplaining that the movie frequently forgets to have any fun. D.B.

3

War Dogs

In the early days of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, two 20-something slackers, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller) hustle their way into the international arms business, making hundredmillion-dollar deals between bong hits and lines of coke. Todd Phillips’ direction is typically jerky and unsubtle, but his script (co-written with Steven Chin and Jason Smilovic, from Guy Lawson’s Rolling Stone article and subsequent book) follows the facts of Diveroli and Packouz’s true story fairly closely. And that’s enough—the mind-boggling chutzpah of these two sleazeballs (plus Hill and Teller’s strong performances) keep us watching in fascination.

Packouz (who plays a bit part) comes off as more sympathetic, suggesting that he cooperated with the filmmakers more than Diveroli did. J.L.

At this point, even the most die-hard comic book movie apologists would have to admit that the superhero genre is stuck in a rut. The genre demands reinvention, but for all of the chest-beating swagger and style of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, the needle hardly

08.18.16 | SN&R | 33

The art of discipline How Felice LaZae went from high kicks to high notes

by Taylor Desmangles

Renaissance

Choir Sacramento

Photo BY DEAN ZULICh

Thursday Evenings in Antelope New Singers Welcome

916.320.8423 | ltlovallo@gmail.com

PHGLWDWLRQ VDQW PDW

6DQW %DOMLW 6LQJK

RQ WKH LQQHU OLJKW DQG WKH LQQHU VRXQG

)UHH LQWURGXFWRU\ FODVV JLYHQ E\ D UHJLRQDO VSHDNHU IROORZHG E\ RSWLRQDO IUHH YHJHWDULDQ OXQFK DQG GLVFXVVLRQ 6XQGD\ 6HSWHPEHU WK QRRQ 6LHUUD &HQWHU &XUWLV +DOO WK 6W 6DFUDPHQWR .QRZ

K\VHOIDV 6RXO )RXQGDWLRQ

Œ

ZZZ VDQWPDW QHW

&RS\ULJKW ‹ .QRZ 7K\VHOI DV 6RXO )RXQGDWLRQ ,QWHUQDWLRQDO

34   |   SN&R   |   08.18.16

“Coming down here to Southern California, everybody wants to be in entertainment,� she says, laughing. “The difference is like, ‘Oh, this can actually be a career versus just a pipe dream.’�

Using some of the same skills she learned in taekwondo, LaZae became extremely disciplined with her artistry and tested out of high school to fully focus on music. At 15, she enrolled into the music program at American River College to study audio engineering. From there, she connected arms open to love. with the manager of the prestigious Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas. As a production assistant at the multi-million dollar studio, she worked with artists like Prince, Felice LaZae didn’t always create vision boards Michael Jackson and other legendary creatives who depicting a career in music. Before the R&B powerfueled her determination to build her singing career. house dedicated her life to singing, she dreamt of Her bluesy, grassroots sound has taken her around winning an Olympic medal for taekwondo. the world performing, though she is still striving to At just 13 years old, the Sacramento native won reach her standard of success. gold in the U.S. Open taekwondo championships. “What keeps me motivated is thinking I don’t At that point, martial arts was her life and singing want to be an old person and wish I would’ve was just something she enjoyed. LaZae didn’t truly done something,â€? she says. “I want to live without fall in love with singing until she spent a week with regrets. I want to live the life of my dreams.â€? a cousin who only spoke Spanish—being able to Prologue, her debut EP dropping in exchange cultural beats and sounds surpassed any October, involves these same themes language barriers between them. That was of motivation and self-love. The when LaZae realized how she’d leave song “Give It Awayâ€? is a prime her mark on the world. example of what LaZae wants “I want people to listen to my to see in her life and also music and see my journey and recommends to others: pushknow it is OK to be different,â€? ing yourself forward, living she says. “These songs are me your life, not being afraid of and are saying things that I new experiences and being believe about the world. ‌ My open to love. She’ll sing purpose is to empower people.â€? off of Prologue when she Now, LaZae is fully Felice LaZae performs at the Torch Club on immersed in the lifestyle of an Wednesday, August 24, with up-and-coming soul singer and all the goal of making sure everyone of what that includes. From multiple leaves feeling strong, confident and city relocations to channeling past bullying ready to create their best lives. experiences as motivation, she has overcome the “I want to leave a legacy that you can do whatsort of obstacles that discourage most—particularly ever you want to do,â€? she says, smiling. “I want those who, like LaZae, entered the industry without people to listen to my music and see my journey and any connections. Starting in Sacramento, she found know that, no matter what happens, even if you fall, it difficult to see a serious career in music. It wasn’t you can be whatever you want to be.â€? Ί until high school when her family moved to Long Beach that she was able to see her dream become a real possibility.

“My purpose is to empower people.�

Catch Felice LaZae at 9 p.m. Wednesday, August 24, at torch Club, 904 15th Street. the cover is $5. More at www.felicelazae.com.

colonial fest

SouNd advice

DIY wonderland Get out, stay home: Library of MusicLandria founders Buddy Hale and Rachel Freund urged Sacramentans to not leave town last Saturday and instead attend their homegrown art, music and comedy festival Sac Stay Home Fest. According to Hale, more than 400 people attended the all-day free festival, an impressive feat considering its DIY nature.

Red Museum looked like a post-apocalyptic bunker for the occasion. One comedian described the inside space as an emptied-out barn with “the world’s most expensive chandelier.” Outside felt like a bazaar on a rural alien planet from the show Firefly. There were vendors selling food, shirts, art and books, with the outdoor stage protected from the sun with a large—and ugly—folded tarp dangling several feet in the air.

This festival couldn’t have taken place in any other city than Sacramento. It was a true coming together of the town’s weirder artist types, with a deliberately gritty aesthetic and interesting tidbits shoved into every corner.

Most importantly, it was a true community event. When I asked Hale who exactly was behind it, he said that he could name at least 50 people that helped put it together and left it at that. Even the emcee for the evening, Curtis Atkisson, just volunteered shortly before the fest—and he killed it.

So much of the festival was about finding little surprises, like a Slip ’N Slide, a box of magazines and art supplies for anyone looking to make collages, and an artist in a Victorian wig offering $5 portraits. I got one and he really evoked my melancholy side.

The festival also captured the stranger side of Sacramento’s rock scene. On the more normal end of the spectrum were great bands like Sun Valley Gun Club, Mondo Deco and Dog Rifle. Even Sac Stay Home sound guy Drew Walker’s old band the Happy Medium—playing its first show in five years—and its dynamic psych-rock, gnome-growling vocals and continually shifting prog-chops was practically pop music compared to some of the other acts.

My three favorites were the Buk Buk Bigups, a one-man-vintage-suitwearing-band that played short blips of synth-pop followed by long blasts

of atonal noise; Ross Hammond, who provided a mellow, jazzy, experimental guitar backdrop while a random woman took it upon herself to spin neon hula hoops; and Pac and Sleep, the truly spectacular sax-drum duo of Jon Bafus and Randy McKean.

They played free jazz at an unrelenting spastic energy level that was so intense, you were dripping with sweat just watching.

aug. 27th - 28th at

—AAron CArnes

Boys are OK sometimes: The new Destroy Boys album, Sorry, Mom, isn’t so self-conscious about dealing with teenage shenanigans. Its nine songs, a folly of frantic garage rock romps, aren’t afraid to tell you about it either.

A single overdriven guitar (Vi Mayugba), drums (Ethan Knight) and vocals (Alexia Roditis) make for catchy racket, like in “Junk,” an irritable ode to misplacing your stuff for good, again. Mayugba delivers one pleasantly crunched riff after another to Knight’s breathless drum flurries.

Meanwhile, Roditis narrates her diary of an angsty teen girl, her vocal style some parts cheery, some parts depressed and annoyed, but always melodically daring. The whole package can get serious, but it keeps an attitude that’s playful enough to imagine that they pick each other’s noses.

And sometimes, the songs are indeed about boys. “I Threw Glass At My Friend’s Eyes And Now I’m On Probation,” is a four-chord punk tune about being ickily smitten with an older guy. “Widow,” a slower alt-rock jam, compares a former squeeze to a creeping spider, and “No Respect” takes a friend to the woodshed over his male entitlement.

Struggles with insecurity, apathy and depression form the album’s darker margins. “Put me in the farthest ward, maybe I’ll be a little less bored,” Roditis sings in the final track, “Word Salad.” The songs are ironic and self-aware, but the stories seem more so about coping with and trudging through their experiences, rather than getting all furrow-browed about what life could possibly mean.

Growing up never ends after all, and Sorry, Mom is a fun, rocking reflection of those riotous years.

—Mozes zArAte

20+ local area bands $10 per day // $15 2-day pass facebook event: colonial fest 2 for line-up & info 916.718.7055 · 3520 stockton blvd sacramento, ca /cafecolonialsacramento

FALL 2016 STRAWBERRY MUSIC FESTIVAL SEPT 1ST – 4TH | WESTSIDE IN TUOLUMNE, CA

THURSDAY: RISKY BISCUITS, ANNE AND PETE SIBLEY, DAVID LUNING, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

SATURDAY: THE BROTHERS COMATOSE, HOWELL DEVINE, RUTHIE FOSTER, LOS LOBOS

FRIDAY: SHINYRIBS, SHANNON MCNALLY, SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS, THE DEL MCCOURY BAND

SUNDAY: HILLBENDERS, MANDOLIN ORANGE, SESSION AMERICANA, LEFTOVER SALMON

AND MANY MORE! OVER 20 MAIN STAGE ACTS, TOP NOTCH KIDS & TEEN PRO GRAMS, ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, LEGENDARY CAMP JAMS, HOG RANCH RADIO, SHOPPING, COMFORTABLE & SCENIC SETTING FOR CAMPING, FINE FOOD IN FOOD COURT Single-day, evening, & 2-,3- & 4-day camping passes available. Children under 5 are free.

FOR TICKETS AND FESTIVAL DETAILS VISIT US AT: WWW.STRAWBERRYMUSIC.COM OR CALL (209)984-8630 M-F, 9-5

THIS MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROCK IN ROAD - ENHANCING THE STRAWBERRY WAY

08.18.16 | SN&R | 35

18 T HU

20 SAT

20 SAT

Moon Boots

The New Pornographers

Pets

Nicolas Gutierrez

19 FRI

Shawn Thwaites Rebel Quartet

Midtown BArfly, 9 p.M., $20

CroCker Art MuseuM, 5:30 p.M., $10-$17 What gives Shawn Thwaites Rebel Quartet its unique, eclectic sound? Is it the weaving of hip-hop, calypso, Afro-beat, funk and R&B into contemporary jazz? Well, yes, but it’s also the steelpan, an underused instrument with roots in Trinidad and Tobago. Steel drummer Thwaites is TrinidadianJAZZ American and proudly incorporates his ancestry into his distinct brand of jazz.

His band is actually quite a bit larger than a quartet, with drums, piano, bass, trumpet and saxophone, but his steelpan comes through as the focal point. 216 O Street, http://strq.tv.

—JAnelle Bitker

ACe of spAdes, 7 p.M., $25

Weightlessness comes to mind while listening to the nu-disco originals and remixes by producer Moon Boots. The moniker is apropos.

There’s a futuristic glisten to his production that suggests dance utopias running counter to reports on the daily news.

NU-DISco Moon Boots doesn’t trouble his listeners with too much darkness. It channels the optimism and pure expression of ’80s boogie and renders it anew for a modern bright side. His music focuses on the neon lights rather than the dark space between those lasers on the dance floor. His set at Barfly will be a rare, earthly opportunity for anti-gravity. 1119 21st Street, http://moon bootsmusic.com.

—BlAke Gillespie

the hideAwAy BAr & Grill, 9 p.M., $5

OK, pensive hipsters, now let’s get in formation: the New Pornographers are swinging by Ace of Spades—a rare visit from Vancouver’s famed indie INDIE supergroup. Led by A.C. Newman, the New Pornographers boasts Dan Bejar, Kathryn Calder and sometimes (though not this weekend) alt-country star Neko Case.

Expect plenty from 2014’s Brill Bruisers, the band’s sixth album since their 1999 inception. From the peppy nostalgia of “Champions of Red Wine” to the Jenny Lewis-esque “Another Drug Deal of the Heart,” the New Pornographers’ latest work alone is likely worth admission. 1417 R Street, www.thenewpornographers.com.

Sacramento indie and garage-pop duo Pets releases Get Turned On on wax this weekend. Members Derek Fieth (bass and vocals) and Allison Jones (guitar and vocals) also released a music video for the fuzzheavy rock ‘n’ roll song “Dead Quick,” and once again teamed up with award-winning director Andrew Hooper. Dressed in their signature black-on-black threads, Fieth and Jones bring color to the GARAGE-PoP music video by bustin’ out some fun dance moves next to a sexy classic car before taking it on a joyride through a psychedelic dream world. 2565 Franklin Boulevard, www.facebook.com/petstheband.

—dAve keMpA

SACRAMENTO’S ULTIMATE COUNTRY BAR GOING ON 9 YEARS! LARGE DANCE FLOOR AMAZING FOOD NIGHTLY DINNER SPECIALS AMAZING DRINK SPECIALS NIGHTLY FREE LATE NIGHT SNACKS KARAOKE UP FRONT NIGHTLY FREE DANCE LESSONS NIGHTLY BEER PONG • FREE POOL

SAT AUG 27TH CAJUN BOIL PARTY SAT SEPT 10TH FREE BBQ VIP GIVEAWAY BASH! GET YOUR DANCE ON AT STONEYS

1320 DEL PASO BLVD IN OLD NORTH SAC

STONEYINN.COM 36 | SN&R | 08.18.16

916.402.2407

—steph rodriGuez

live MuSic

voted beSt bar in roSeville!

2015 -preSS tribune

aug 19

NaaN Stop & glaSS houSe

aug 20

lillie lemoN

aug 26

Scotty Vox

aug 27

debbie wolfe

Sep 03

Julie & the JukeS

Sep 09

aNdrew caStro

Sep 23

todd morgaN

27 Beers On Draft sunDay acOustic sessiOns 2-5 PM

Monday Pint night 5-8 PM, trivia @ 6:30 PM Wednesday oPen Mic – sign-uPs @ 7:30 PM thursday oPen Mic coMedy @ 7:30 PM 101 Main Street, roSeville 916-774-0505 · luNch/diNNer 7 dayS a week fri & Sat 9:30pm - cloSe 21+

/bar101roSeVille

DANCE UTOPiAS RUNNiNg COUNTER TO REPORTS ON THE DAiLy NEwS

20 SAT

21 S UN

23 T UE

25 T HU

Bows

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Dowsing

Ballantynes

Sophia’S Thai KiTchen, 9:30 p.m., $5 Berkeley-based electro-pop duo Bows has quite the origin story: After Kaila McIntyreBader broke both her ELECTRO-POP elbows (get it?!) in a bicycle accident, she was forced to temporarily abandon the piano. As she healed, she explored making music on her computer, which bandmate Luke Bace eventually translated into the synth stylings that make up their very Sylvan-Esso-like sound.

The end results are highly danceable, a little psychedelic and a lot of fun. Also on the bill is L.A. pop duo Who Can Sleep and Bace’s other project, LakeCube. 129 E Street in Davis, www.facebook.com/bowstheband.

The colony, 7 p.m., $8

harlow’S reSTauranT & nighTclub, 7 p.m., $32.50 - $35 BeauSoleil was a regular at the sadly defunct Palms Playhouse, so this show comes as a sweet surprise. This Sunday’s dance party starts early and ends early. As always, the band will be led by fiddler and singer Michael Doucet. Besides being landmark Cajun artists, this group is closing in on 40 years.

Bravo! (And for future reference: No word whether Palms Playhouse’s former CAJUN talent buyer Dave Fleming will be involved with the new owners as the Winters’ venue is pending sale). 2708 J Street, www.beausoleilmusic.com.

—Deena DrewiS

—eDDie JorgenSen

preSS club, 8 p.m., $10

When Dowsing put out its album Okay earlier this year, fans speculated that it had outgrown its emo roots. Some want to upgrade Dowsing’s music genre with a hyphen, like emo-indie, or emo-punk, while others say just a plain ol’ indie rebranding EMO-PUNk suffices. Either way, the band has put together a solid, guitar-driven collection of songs that also have some deep, emotive lyrics. Check out the group’s prior 2013 effort, I Don’t Even Care Anymore, a much slower, sulking affair. A brief hiatus, and the Chicago four-piece returned with more energy and diverse influences. 3512 Stockton Boulevard, www.facebook.com/ Dowsingband.

Vancouver six-piece Ballantynes want to get you dancing. Sure, a lot of bands hope you will shake your hips when they hit the stage, but Ballantynes work overtime to inspire some serious sweat-induced dance moves from every person that walks into the club. They exude a ton of energy, and they’ve got it all: organ, trombone, tambourine and of course, all the standard rock ‘n’ soul instruR&B ments. Their breed of soul—Northern Soul, it’s called—is just about the most upbeat, energetic version of soul music that’s ever existed. This isn’t Al Green crooning sweet gospel ballads; this is get-up-on-yourfeet-all-night-long music. 2030 P Street, www.facebook.com/theballantynes.

—amy bee

—aaron carneS

All Ages Welcome!

1417 R Street, Sacramento, 95814 • www.aceofspadessac.com friday, august 19

TOO SHORT saturday, august 20

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

friday, sePtember 9 vive 92.1fm Presents:

cAMIlA saturday, sePtember 10

JAKE BUGG

syd artHur

rogue Wave

monday, august 22

DIGITOUR SUMMER 2016

Weston Koury - baby ariel - dylan dauzat - JaKe t. austin - dyllan murray - sammy WilK

tuesday, august 23

RIFF RAFF

trill sammy & dice soHo - dollarbillgates

Wedneday, august 31

MADEINTYO salma slims – mynamePHin - noaH Wood$

saturday, sePtember 17

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORlEANS AVENUE Joy & madness

sunday, sePtember 18

SAINT MOTEl Jr Jr - WeatHers

sunday, sePtember 25

RX BANDITS

COMING

SOON

08/18 08/30 09/16 09/26 09/27 09/28 10/01 10/02 10/05 10/06 10/07 10/09 10/10 10/11 10/14 10/15 10/21 10/23 10/24 10/28 10/29 11/02 11/03 11/04 11/05 11/06 11/09 11/10 11/12 11/15 11/16 11/18

Fitz & The Tantrums Sold Out! Explosions In The Sky Sold Out! Coheed And Cambria Sold Out! Carla Morrison Tech N9ne Echo & The Bunnymen Corey Smith Buckcherry & Hoobastank Drive By Truckers Simple Plan Machine Gun Kelly Devin Townsend Project & Between The Buried & Me Beartooth Eric Hutchinson Steve Vai Halestorm with Lita Ford Opeth Yellowcard Young The Giant Sold Out! Aaron Lewis Bad Religion Sold Out! Attila Post Malone The Wonder Years & Real Friends Colt Ford Crown The Empire Cherub For Today The Dirty Heads Siruis XM’s Faction Presents: Pennywise Queensryche Yelawolf

TickeTs available aT all Dimple RecoRDs locaTions anD www.aceofspaDessac.com 08.18.16 | SN&R | 37

THURSDAY 8/18 BADLANDS

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790

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.

FRIDAY 8/19

BAR 101

Thursday Comedy Open Mic, 7:30pm, call for cover

NA’AN STOP, 9:30pm, call for cover

LITTLE LEMON, 9:30pm, call for cover

BLUE LAMP

GAMBIT, TORCH 1, BLAZIN & LIL EVIL; 7:30pm, $11-$14

BONFIRE, 8pm, $10-$12

HUSALAH, 8pm, $20

BAD OMENS, CONTROL, MECHANISIM; 6:30pm, $12

KINGDOM OF THE GIANTS, COLOSSAL DREAM; 6pm, $12-$14

MATT RAINEY, 5pm, call for cover; TIFFANY LORRAINE, 9pm, call for cover

KENNY FRYE, 9pm, call for cover

101 Main St., Roseville; (916) 774-0505 1400 Alhambra, (916) 455-3400

THE BOARDWALK

9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale; (916) 988-9247

Want to be a hot show?

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

COUNTRY CLUB SALOON

4007 Taylor Rd., Loomis; (916) 652-4007

DISTRICT 30 FACES

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

Everything Happens dancing and karaoke, 9pm, call for cover

Absolute Fridays dance party, 9pm, $5-$10

Party Time dance party with Sequin Sarudays drag show, 9:30pm, $5-$12

FOX & GOOSE

THE MIKE JUSTIS BAND, 8pm, no cover

TARA VELARDE; 9pm, $5

BANJO BONES AND THE PINE STREET RAMBLERS; 9pm, $5

GOLDFIELD TRADING POST 1603 J St., (916) 476-5076

BRANDY CLARK, MADISON HUDSON; 7pm, $12-$15

BLACKWATER, 8pm, $5

HALFTIME BAR & GRILL

Karaoke happy hour, 7pm, no cover

HARLOW’S

B SIDE PLAYERS, 7pm, $12-$15

THE HIDEAWAY BAR & GRILL

Punk and glam night with DJ Annimal, 9pm, no cover

LUNA’S CAFE & JUICE BAR

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

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

2565 Franklin Blvd., (916) 455-1331

NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN

AARON SNOOK, DEVIN FARREN, DICK LARSON; 8:30pm, $5

1111 H St., (916) 443-1927

LOVEFOOL, 9pm, $5

FLEETWOOD MASK, 8pm, $15-$20

BLOCK PARTY 3 HOSTED BY T-PAIN, 9pm, $30-$35

PREVAIL, THE WHITE NOISE; 6pm W, $15

8/18 7pm $12adv

mleo

B SiDe PlayerS (paYing tribute tO curtiS maYField)

8/26 5:30pm $6adv

SaiD the Shotgun adam verOna

8/19 8pm $15adv

fleetwooD maSk:

8/26 10pm $14adv

the ultimate tribute tO FleetwOOd mac

the comeDy of neil hamBurger JOhnnY taYlOr

8/20 9pm $10

Back in the Day

nick Flanagan

8/27 5pm $15adv

(Old SchOOl hip-hOp) with dJ illeSt and thOmaS YOung

Steelin’ Dan

8/21 6pm $32.50adv

BeauSoleil avec michael Doucet

8/27 10pm $18adv

Dezarie dJ nice up

richie lawrence and the YOlOS

08.18.16

EDM and karaoke, 9pm M, no cover; Latin night, 9pm Tu, $5 Open-mic night, 7:30pm M, no cover; Pub quiz, 7pm Tu, no cover

Trivia night, 7pm Tu; Bingo, 1pm W; Paint night, 6:30pm W, $25 BEAUSOLEIL AVEC MICHAEL DOUCET, 6pm, $32.50-$35

Sac unified poetry slam; 8pm, call for cover

DAVE LYNCH, ADAM BLOCK; 8pm, $5

Nebraska Mondays, 7:30pm M, $10; Open Mic Comedy, 8pm Tu, no cover

MOONBOOTS, 9:30pm, $5-$20

MAOR LEVI, CUE22, AMICUS; 10pm, $5-$20

Salsa Wednesday, 7:30pm W, $5

HALEY LEMING, CARENNA KT, NIKKI NELSON; 8:30pm, $5

GRAVY NATION, NOAH BYRD, WESTERLY; 8:30pm, $5

DEVON GALLEY AND THE HEAVY HOLD, THE ROAMIES; 8:30pm W, $5

Coming Soon 8/25 7:30pm $8adv

Sunday Mass with heated pool, drag show, 2pm, no cover

Cactus Pete’s 78 RPM Record Roundup, 8pm Tu; Twisted Trivia W

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

|

RELICSEED, SIN CIRCUS, INSANOSPHERE; 9pm, call for cover

RAPPIN’ 4-TAY, 8pm, $15

Open-mic night, M, call for cover

BLACKOUT BETTY, 9pm, $5

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693

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

|

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

PANIC CITY, call for time and cover

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

MIDTOWN BARFLY

38

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8/22-8/24 Big Mondays happy hour all night, M; Karaoke, Tu; Trapicana, W

314 W. Main St., Grass Valley; (530) 274-8384

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

SN&R

SUNDAY 8/21 Sunday Tea Dance and Beer Bust, 4pm, call for cover

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

Hey local bands!

SATURDAY 8/20 Spectacular Saturdays, 10pm, call for cover

#TurntUp Thursday, 9pm, no cover

08/28

comedy of ruben paul

08/29

lucy woodward

09/01

charles bradley

09/02

tracy cruz

09/05

kindred the Family Soul

09/06

luciano

09/08

honey c

09/11

J.Sirus

09/12

chuck ragan

09/15

carl verheyen

09/16

tainted love

09/17

café musique

09/18

Ottmar liebert

09/19

andy mineo

09/20

Sister Sparrow and the dirty birds

09/22

whiskey and Stitches

09/25

lera lynn

09/26

Steve gunn & the Outliners

09/27

gaelic Storm

09/28

el ten eleven

40 beers on tap

Charity ConCert in the Beer Garden Benefiting Alpha K-9, a Veteranoperated non-profit, dedicated to providing PTSD Service Dogs to the Veterans, First Responders, and civilians who desperately need them. $5 Entry Proceeds donated to Alpha K-9!

LivE Music nXtA Kin: 4–6:30 pm BrAndEd: 8–11 pm dJ MEnAcE: 11 pm – 1 am Grub from BoBcAts BBQ! 21+ Event 21+ Venue

4007 Taylor Road • Loomis, CA {EXIT I-80 TO SIERRA COLLEGE} 916-652-4007 • countryclubsaloon.com

THURSDAY 8/18 OLD IRONSIDES

FRIDAY 8/19

Open acoustic jam, 8pm, no cover

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

ON THE Y

SATURDAY 8/20

SLATTERN V, BELLY GUNNER; 9pm, $7

Open-mic stand-up comedy and karaoke, 8pm, no cover

670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

SUNDAY 8/21

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8/22-8/24 Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover; Open-mic, 9pm W, no cover

Lipstick, 9pm, $5 Saturday night karaoke, 8pm, no cover

Open 8-ball pool tournament, 7:30pm, $5

Karaoke, 9pm Tu; Dart and movie night, 7pm W, no cover

THE PALMS PLAYHOUSE

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

PISTOL PETE’S

ROSEWELL, WHITE KNUCKLE RIOT, 3SD; 8p,, call for cover

140 Harrison Ave., Auburn; (530) 885-5093

POUR HOUSE

1910 Q St., (916) 706-2465

POWERHOUSE PUB

DURAN DURAN DURAN, 10pm, $10

DISCO REVOLUTION, 10pm, $10

MIGHTY MIKE SCHERMER, 3pm, $10

Live band karaoke, 8pm Tu, call for cover

THE PRESS CLUB

Press Club Fridays with DJ Rue, call for time and cover

Pop 40 with DJ Larry, 9pm, no cover before 10pm

Sunday Night Dance Party, 9pm, call for cover

PEARS, DIRECT HIT!, BASTARDS OF YOUNG; 8pm, $10

614 Sutter St., Folsom; (916) 355-8586 2030 P St., (916) 444-7914

SHADY LADY SALOON

HARLEY WHITE JR. ORCHESTRA, 9pm, no cover

TWILIGHT DRIFTERS, 9pm, no cover

THE GOLDEN CADILLACS, 9pm, no cover

ALEX JENKINS, 9pm, no cover

STARLITE LOUNGE

KRALLICE, PALE CHALICE, MODERN MAN; 8pm, $10

SPELLCASTER, DIRE PERIL, SOLANUM; 8pm, $10

C-DUBB, REESE LOC, BIG KOOL AID; 8pm, $13

BLUE OAKS, LIKE WINE LIKE WATER, EBBTIDE; 7pm, $7

HELEN MONEY, JOHN HAUGHM; 8pm M, $8

STONEY’S ROCKIN RODEO

Country DJ dancing and live band karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Country DJ dancing and karaoke, 8pm, $5-$7

Country DJ dancing and karaoke, 8pm, $5

Country DJ dancing and karaoke, 9pm, call for cover

Country DJ dancing, 8:30pm W, $5-$10

TORCH CLUB

Acoustic with X-TRIO, 5pm; JOHN CLIFTON BAND, 9pm, $6

PAILER & FRATIS, 5:30pm; MIND X 9pm, $7, 9pm

SHAWN HOLT, 4pm, no cover; BIG STICKY MESS, 9pm, $8

Blues jam, 4pm, no cover; FRONT THE BAND, 9pm no cover.

MICHAEL RAY, 8pm Tu no cover; FELICE LAZAE, 9pm W, $5

1409 R St., (916) 231-9121

1517 21st St., (916) 704-0711 1320 Del Paso Blvd., (916) 927-6023 904 15th St., (916) 443-2797

Too Short Friday 7pm, $28-$30.

Ace of Spades Rap

All ages, all the time ACE OF SPADES

FITZ & THE TANTRUMS, 7pm, sold out

TOO SHORT; 7pm, $28-$30

CAFE COLONIAL

Open-mic, 9pm, no cover

KEVIN SECONDS, STEVE SOTO, DANNY SECRETION; 8pm, call for cover

THE COLONY

3512 Stockton Blvd., (916) 718-7055

TURNAWAYS, THE MOANS, THE O’ MULLIGANS; 8pm, call for cover

SHINE

Open jazz jam, 8pm, no cover

1417 R St., (916) 448-3300 3520 Stockton Blvd., (916) 736-3520

1400 E St., (916) 551-1400

Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (916) 498-1234 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 9am-5pm.

All ads post online same day.

Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

Online ads are

STILL FREE!*

*Nominal fee for adult entertainment. All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication.

The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission.

The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

AIRLINE CAREERS start here - if you’re a hands on learner, you can become FAA Certified to fix jets. Job placement, financial aid if qualified.

Call AIM 800-481-8389 AIRLINE CAREERS begin here - Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students.

Job placement assistance.

Call Aviation Institute of Mainetenance. (800) 725-1563 (AAN CAN)

PAID IN ADVANCE! Make $1000 a Week Mailing Brochures From Home. No Experience Required.

Helping Home Workers Since 2001. Genuine Opportunity. Start Immediately! www.TheIncomeHub.com (AAN CAN)

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, ROUGE WAVE; 7pm, $25-$30

THE PRESSURE LOUNGE DEVON BLUE; 8pm, $10

ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM Lonely? Bored? Broke?

Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at roommates.com!

(AAN CAN)

SICFUCS, THE VERGE, NAM THE GIVER; 8pm, $7

$$GET CASH NOW$$ Call 888-822-4594. J.G. Wentworth can give you cash now for your future Structured Settlement and Annuity Payments (AAN CAN)

CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-888-420-3808 www.cash4car.com (AAN CAN)

Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-753-1317 (AAN CAN)

adult Erotic Petite Blonde Stay cool and let me pamper you in my discreet location. (916) 812-5330

Viagra!!

52 Pills for Only $99.00.

Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-888-403-9028

Oriental Magic Hands

KILL BED BUGS & THEIR EGGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot. (AAN CAN)

Delightful massage from a Latin expert

CASH PAID FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Up to $30 a box. Fast pickup.

One-touch Freestyle and other brands bought. Call Rachel (916) 505-4673.

Jason Shimomura CMT 601-1292 (9am-9pm daily)

Special rates for seniors.

By appt only in Fair Oaks *82-916-961-3830

WESTON KOURY, 5:30pm M, $25-$30; RIFF RAFF, 7pm, $25-$30

48 Pills + 4 Free!

Viagra 100mg/Cialis 20mg Free pills! No hassle, discreet shipping. Save now.

Call today 1-877-621-7013

more adult online

www.newsreview.com

Midtown Out Loud Open Mic, 8pm W, no cover

Helen Money with John Haughm Monday 8pm, $8.

Starlite Lounge Experimental

NOW

OPEN 5 OFF

$

ADMISSION

WITH THIS AD. OFFER EXPIRES 08.31.16, CODE SNR

FREE ADMISSION WEAR A CITY LIMITS HAT OR T-SHIRT AND RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION FOR ENTIRE MONTH OF AUGUST

2 FOR 1 DANCE SPECIALS NIGHTLY ALWAYS AUDITIONING BEAUTIFUL ENTERTAINERS TUES – THURS & SUN 8PM – 1AM | FRI & SAT 8PM - 3AM 1672 HAMMONTON SMARTSVILLE RD. | MARYSVILLE, CA 95901 | (530)269.9422 08.18.16 | SN&R | 39

pure gold

WWW.GOLDCLUBCENTERFOLDS.COM

totally nude showgirls

$5 off admission

w/ad $5 off after 7pm 1 drink minimum exp 9/15/16. not valid on ufc fight nights

store open 10am club open 5pm

FREE TO LISTEN AND REPLY TO ADS Free Code: Sacramento News & Review

More Local Numbers: 1-800-700-6666

redhotdateline.com 18+

GREAT FOOD

LUNCH SPECIALS

BRIDGETTE B

OVER 450 XXX MOVIES

WED AUG 24 – SAT AUG 27

diaz vs mcgRegoR 2

ufc 202

sAt Aug 20 · 135” scrEEn 5 pack dvds

WHO ARE YOU AFTER DARK?

Try FREE: 916-480-6200

#1 PER N&R

dancer FIND REAL GAY MEN NEAR YOU Sacramento:

(916) 340-1414 Davis:

www.megamates.com 18+

(530) 760-1011

auditions

$9.69

daily 3000 SUNRISE BLVD. #2 w/coupon Reg. $12.69 AD EXps 9-15-16. 1 pEr customEr

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA

916.631.3520

2011 best all girl group sex. Films with Brazzers, Naughty America, Red Light & More STAGE TIMES:

Wednesdays & Thursdays 10pm & 12:30am Fridays Noon, 9:30pm, 11:30pm & 1:30am Saturdays 9:30pm, 11:30pm & 1:30am

STORE SIGNING FRI & SAT 6-8PM AMATEUR CONTEST/AUDITIONS EVERY MONDAY

9:30 PM - $450.00 CASH PRIZE

FRIENDLY ATTRACTIVE DANCERS CONTRACTED DAILY. CALL 858-0444 FOR SIGN UP INFO

FREE ADMIT w/Ad $5.00 VALUE

Valid Anytime With Drink Purchase

25,000 ADULT DVDS $0.49 - & UP

WE BUY USED ADULT DVDS BACHELOR / DIVORCE PARTIES 916.858.0444 FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

SPORTS ACTION ON OUR GIANT SCREEN TV

11363 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova (Between Sunrise & Hazel)

858-0444

M-Th 11:30-3 • Fri 11:30-4 • Sat 12-4 • Sun 3-3 Gold Club Centerfolds is a non-alcohol nightclub featuring all-nude entertainment. Adults over 18 only.

40 | SN&R | 08.18.16

by JOEY GARCIA

@AskJoeyGarcia

The heart’s risk How would you ask your significant other about certain of his female friends that raise questions in your mind (with legitimate reasons behind those concerns)? Under what circumstances is it best to bring up a concern regarding another female? Is it better not to bring anything up? My boyfriend is friends with girls that he was once had crushes on, but who weren’t interested in him until we got together. It makes me uncomfortable. He says he’s no longer interested in them and that I have nothing to worry about. Do I? If you’re a worrier by nature, then yes, you’ll have something to worry about—if not this scenario, then another situation or person you can’t control.

That’s how our worry muscle works. Don’t be offended; I have a worry muscle, too. The trick is not to exercise it often. Worry is a symptom that alerts us to the presence of anxiety. My definition of anxiety: internal energy that we build up as we prepare to tackle a personal problem, but—epic fail—that energy remains unused because instead of taking action, we freeze. So now we have anxious energy in storage that’s ready to attach itself to whatever unfolds in our lives. People say that exercising reduces anxiety. True. When we exercise, the brain is distracted while the body burns through anxiety’s skim layer. But anxiety returns like a boss because nothing really changed beyond that superficial skim. Ever scrape a fingernail across the wax of a pillar candle? You just scraped away the amount of anxiety that exercising removes. The rest of the candle is your remaining storehouse of anxiety. Yikes, is right.

You can reduce worry about the other women in your man’s life, by accepting reality: giving your heart to another always involves risk. Yes, always. But it’s a risk worth taking because learning how to love and be loved is our evolutionary work. So

dig beneath anxiety’s foundation with these questions: What are you really afraid of? Losing a relationship you’ve invested in? Being the last to know that your boyfriend’s heart has landed elsewhere? Being alone? Suss it out and be free.

The other issue you face is communication. A good time to chat about a topic that creates relationship stress is when you’ve let go of getting your way.

So be open to hearing your partner’s perspective without trying to defend your own. If he loves you, he’ll keep his female friends at arm’s length. Or he’ll have a serious convo with them to reaffirm the boundaries needed to protect his relationship with you. If you love him, you will own your insecurity (yes, even if there’s a legit reason you’re uncomfortable). If you love yourself, you will assess this relationship and decide if it’s right for you. Hey, we live in a big ol’ world of people looking for love. There are available men who don’t need to be friends with women they once had a crush on. Of course, those men will have other annoying issues. Let’s call that: New chances to learn and grow. It’s why relationships are a spiritual path. Ω

Worry is a symptom that alerts us to the presence of anxiety.

MeDITaTIon of THe Week “People will stare. Make it worth their while,” said jeweler Harry Winston. Let’s give them something (positive) to talk about. Ready, set, go!

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 Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 3206; or email askjoey@newsreview.com.

60 MINUTES FREE TRIAL

THE HOTTEST GAY CHATLINE

1-916-480-6210 More Local Numbers: 800-777-8000

www.guyspyvoice.com

Ahora en Español/18+

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

All massage advertisers are required to provide News & Review a current valid business license or somatic establishment permit issued by either the city or county in which they are operating in in order to run a printed advertisement.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US, PLEASE CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS AT 916-498-1234 EXT. 1338.

Certified Massage Practitioner Maggie

916.435.1888

Actual CMT Not a model

the

GRAND OPENING

BESgeT! massa

2221 SUNSET BLVD. #115 ROCKLIN • 9AM-9PM DAILY GRAND OPENING SPECIAL $40 1 HOUR • FREE STEAM & SHOWER * VIETNAMESE BODY MASSAGE * DEEP TISSUE * SWEDISH * HOT STONES

REAL PEOPLE, REAL DESIRE, REAL FUN.

Try FREE: 916-480-6227 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000

Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+

FREE TRIAL

Discreet Chat Guy to Guy

916.480.6215

Just for Massage natural healing center

Great Massage 4621 truxel rd., #A4 • sAc, 95834 916-286-9689 • open dAily: 10Am-9pm THE BEST MASSAGE YOU CAN GET

NEW STAFF!

5 OFF

$

• 7 Days a Week 10am–10pm • Sauna & Shower Available • Free Chinese therapies • Reflexology • Deep Tissue • Swedish *this is a model

GOOD DAY SPA

916.395.7712 7271 55th St. #D

Sacramento 95823

All Credit Cards Accepted

Vibrational

❤

❤

❤

❤

TANTRIC MASSAGE ❤

❤ ANTELOPE 9AM-9PM DAILY $80+

Lady Saigon Spa 6840 65TH ST #A135, SAC CA 95828 10AM - 10PM DAILY • 916-573-3919

Ann, CMT

❤

❤

916.722.7777

29-JET SPA • BODY SHAMPOO • BY APPT.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 41

GETS YOU DISCOUNT TICKETS TO THE BEST SHOWS IN TOWN! 7

All American Speedway: $15 value for $7.50

2

Art Mix @ Crocker: $10 value for $2.50

$ 50

$ 50

8

$ 00

Club Fantasy Admission: $20 value for $8

1 0 00

$

The Midtown Moxies Burlesque (09/03): $20 value for $10 Yolo Brewfest 2016 (09/03):

2 5 00 $35 value for $25

$

1 0 00 Laughs Unlimited:

$

7

$ 50

Sacred City Derby Girls Admission: $15 for $7.50

$6.75

Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery: $25 value for

$3.50

$48.80 value for $29.28

Cafe Lumiere: $15 value for

$7.50

4 2 06

Rewind Fest: Lost 80s Live @ Thunder Valley (09/04): $70.10 value for $42.06

4 5 00

California Craft Beer Summit & Festival (09/08-09/10): $60 value for $45

3

$ 60

7

$ 50

Sacramento Banana Festival 2016 (08/20): $8 value for $3.60 Akira Kurosawa’s: Ran @ Crest Theatre (08/21): $15 value for $7.50

Pavilion: $63 value for $37.80 Sierra Brewfest

2 1 00 2016 (08/27):

$

$35 value for $21

18

7

$ 50

The Hunchback of Notre

3 7 80 Dame @ Wells Fargo

$

$

$

00

Old Sugar Mill Wine & Cheese Faire (08/27-08/28): $30 value for $18

To get great deals on concerts at Ace of Spades, Goldfield Trading Post and Harlow’s go to snrsweetdeals.newsreview.com

42 | SN&R | 08.18.16

7

$ 50

Louisiana Sue’s Crawfish & Catfish Festival (09/10-09/11): $15 value for $7.50 Josh Abbott Band @ Goldfield Trading Post (09/14): $15 for $7.50

Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen: $15 value for

2 7 00

Amador Vintners The Big Crush Harvest Festival (10/01-02): $45 value for $27

El Jardin Mexican Restaurant: $20 value for

$8

Federalist Public House & Beer Garden: $10 value for Fish Face Poke Bar: $10 value for

Giant Orange Hamburgers: $20 value for Lola’s Lounge: $20 value for

$10

$10

Mango’s Burgertown: $20 value for

Streets: $10 value for

$7

$7

$12

$5

$6

Squeeze Inn Power Inn: $20 value for Umai Savory Hot Dogs: $10 value for

never pay service fees!

$7.50

$12.50

Mr. Pickles Midtown: $10 value for $

$12

Coin Op Game Room: $20 value for

Doyle’s Taproom: $25 value for

$15

$2.50

Broadway Coffee Co.: $5 value for Cafe Colonial: $10 value for

$20 value for $10 $

Baguette’s Deli: $15 value for

Wynonna & The Big

2 9 28 Noise (09/03):

$

get more, spend less.

$10 $5

never pay service fees!

snrsweeTdeals.newsreview.com SNRSWEETDEALS.NEWSREVIEW.COM

To get great deals on concerts at Ace of Spades, Goldfield Trading Post and Harlow’s go to snrsweetdeals.newsreview.com

SN&R’s

What’s inside: The 420 51 Patient Profile 55 Capital Cannabis Map 59

“If IT wEREN’T fOR MEdICAL CANNAbIS I wOuLdN’T bE HERE TOdAy” - Tommy Chong

ExprEss ordEring now availablE. Call now!

5 grams

$

4 gram 1/8ths starting at $20 8 gram 1/4s starting at $40 wide variety of clones 5 joints for $20 14 new kinds of wax 10 different kinds of shatter, $12 1/2 gram Premier chong’s choice items available

HORIZON COLLECTIVE

3600 Power Inn Rd Ste 1A | Sac, CA 95826 | 916.455.1931 Find dispensary listings online at newsreview.com/sacramento

Open 10am - 7pm Mon-Sat 12pm - 7pm Sun 08.18.16 | SN&R | 43

SN&R’s

44 | SN&R | 08.18.16

$20 BLUE DREAM SHATTER* 3 GRAMS FOR $50

*PER GRAM

OFFERING VENDOR AGREEMENTS MON-THURS 12-4

10 CAP $

ON ALL GRAMS & HASH

35 CAP $

ON ALL 1/8THS

FREE GRAM

+PRE ROLL

For New Patients & Referral Patients

$35 CAP ON

We proudly sponsor

Concentrates

SAFE CAPITOL COMPASSION • SAFE ACCESS 916.254.3287 Norwood

Kelton

Northgate

Main Ave

135 Main Avenue • Sacramento CA, 95838 • Open Mon thru Sat 10AM–7PM • Now Open Sun 12-5 *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

08.18.16 | SN&R | 45

finest dispensary ee pr fre for l rol ial soc ia med -in! ck che

25% off

For New Patients $25 1G Wax - 1841 brand

Veterans, Seniors & Disabled

*

am9:00 m p 9:00 s a y 7 da k! e We

(50% off, reG. $50)

receive 15% off all floWer & concentrates

6x

all $30 wax

concentrates

4 for $100

BEST OF WINNER plus tax, exp. 8.24.16

Sacramento’s

plus tax, exp. 8.24.16

SN&R’s

all $40 wax

concentrates

3 for $100

$25 1/8ths available • Vendors Wanted call 877.916.1841 for appt. *cannot be combined With other offers exp 08.24.16

(877) 916.1841 | www.1841elcamino.com

hashtag #1841elcamino | hashtag #1841elcaminoave

46 | SN&R | 08.18.16

8112 Alpine Ave Sacramento, CA 95826

916-739-6337 • Open Mon - Sun: 10am-8pm

08.18.16 | SN&R | 47

SN&R’s

Free gram

To be a part of CAPITAL CANNABIS DIRECTORY Call 916.498.1234

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DELIVERY

916.469.9182 1404 28th Street

Corner of 28th & N, Midtown Sac Open 10am-9pm 7 days a week www.GreenSolutionsSac.com

N e w pat i e N t

* e x p.

08.24.16

SpeCialS & GiftS!

/greensolutionsmidtown

Sign-up, view menu, and order online $30 min. delivery

FREE DELIVERY TO Sacramento • Roseville • Folsom • Elk Grove • Davis Open everyday 10am-8pm • 916-661-7324 • eztree.com

/greensolutions420

Medical Marijuana Evaluations $ 45* Expert Doctors, Quick Service

NEW PATIENT

*With this ad & purchase of laminated card. Exp 08.24.16.

35*

$

rENEWAl

*With this ad & purchase of laminated card. Exp 08.24.16.

WAlk-INs WElcomE vA dIscouNTs AvAIlAblE 24/7 vErIfIcATIoN Howe Ave

Enterprise Dr

936 Enterprise Drive Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 484–1200

Northrop Ave

48

|

SN&R

|

08.18.16

3X SNR DELIVERY WINNER

OPEN MON–SAT 11–6 • Sun 12-4pm

SACRAMENTO’S SOLVENTLESS HEADQUARTERS

916. 393.182 0 | WWW. SS CC 91 6.CO M SSCC916_ & SSCC_GALLERY / SSCC9 1 6 114A OT TO CIRCLE, SAC | OPEN 9AM- 8PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 08.18.16 | SN&R | 49

SN&R’s

08/24/16 munchie monDAyS ........buy any 2 edibles get 1 (free of equal or lesser value) top Shelf tueSDAyS ....all $50 1/8ths capped at $40 wAxy weDneSDAyS......buy 3 top-shelf full melt for only $90 hAShtAg thurSDAy ......all bubble hash is only $15 per gram free j friDAy ..................get a free joint with any $10 min donation SunDAy funDAy ..............4 gram 1/8ths all day Cannot be combined with other offers. Strain determined by HHWC. Expires 08/24/16.

SS gle

hin

50

Rd

d k RParking on

c ro

4020 Durock rD, Ste 1 • Shingle SpringS, cA (916) 757–0980 • open monday – friday 10am to 8pm • saturday 10am to 8pm • sunday 10am to 6pm Du

Oakmont Drive

Compliant with California Proposition 215, S.B. 420 & Attorney General Guidelines. Must have doctor’s reccomendation and California ID to join.

Never Rushed.

Always Organic.

s program d r a w e r t n Patie

DAI LY SPEC IALS EVERY WEEKDAY Text RHOUSE to 71441 to receive offers, gifts, specials and more.

OPEN EVERY DAY 9AM-7PM GIF TS FOR NEW PATIENTS & REFERRALS!

8848 FRUI TRIDGE RD | SAC RAMENTO | 91 6.381.3769 50 | SN&R | 08.18.16

buy 3 1/8ThS get one

free*

20%

10%

aNy EdIbLE*

aNy cONcENTRaTE*

off

off

*Exp. 08/24/16. caNNOT bE cOmbINEd W/ aNy OThER OffER.

scan the QR code to score a freebie from Two Rivers

OpEN 7 dayS a WEEk 9am – 9pm

TWO RIVERS WELLNESS • 315 NORTh 10Th STREET, SacRamENTO /TWORIVERSSac 916.804.8975 • TWORIVERSSac.cOm

/two_rivers

Same old song

Bring in any competitor’s coupon* and we’ll beat it by $5 *That is CA Medical Board Standards Compliant.

Must present competitor’s ad. Some restrictions apply.

So did the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency finally make a decision?

B.A. “Ted” Breath Meh. They did, but it’s pretty much the same old song, although they did make a small change. In case you missed it: Last week, the DEA decided not to change cannabis’ Schedule I status, meaning that the DEA still considers cannabis to be of no medical use and to be highly addictive, like GHB or heroin. Go figure. I talked about some of the reasons why the DEA probably wouldn’t change their position on pot in the column before this one (see “Overscheduled,” August 11). I had thought they would have tried to stall for a while longer, but they didn’t. Maybe they should have.

The new rules still keep cannabis listed as Schedule I, but they have loosened the restrictions on researchers who want to grow marijuana to use in medical studies.

Previously, scientists were only allowed to use cannabis from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Now, medical professionals looking to perform clinical trials can go the DEA website (http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugreg/index.html#regapps), fill out form 225 and hope that they get approval. Good luck!

A few cool things have happened though: Many top scientists and politicians have lambasted the DEA’s decision. Dr. Carl Hart, a neuroscientist and associate professor of psychology at Columbia University, had this criticism in a recent Scientific American article: “The inconsistency of Federal laws with these other programs and initiatives, and with the increasing number of studies demonstrating the It medical usefulness of the substance, makes is so nice marijuana’s Schedule I status seem like medical and/or governmental hypocrisy, when politicians undermining people’s’ trust in the relevant finally start federal agencies.” And, he pointed out, listening to their “Recently, DEA commissioner Chuck Rosenberg described the very concept of constituents. medical marijuana as ‘a joke.’ Perhaps it’s also a joke that a law enforcement agency has the final word on a medical issue.”

Nice burn, Dr. Hart.

He’s not the only one. Here is Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon congressman, giving them heck: “Keeping marijuana at Schedule I continues an outdated, failed approach—leaving patients and marijuana businesses trapped between state and federal laws. ...

It’s not right or fair,” he said in a statement.

The DEA’s self-serving decision even prompted Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to release a statement on how she would change the law if she were to be elected.

“As president, Hillary will build on the important steps announced today by rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II substance. She will also ensure Colorado, and other states that have enacted marijuana laws, can continue to serve as laboratories of democracy.”

It is so nice when politicians finally start listening to their constituents. Let us continue to help the DEA make good decisions by supporting cannabis legalization efforts on a local and national level. Ω Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert.

Email him questions at ask420@newsreview.com.

VOTED BEST 420 PHYSICIAN IN SAC! ’15

420 MD MEDICAL MARIJUANA EVALUATIONS

SUMMER COMPASSION SPECIAL

39 49

$

$

RENEWALS

MUST BRING AD.

Limit one per patient. Some restrictions apply.

NEW PATIENTS MUST BRING AD.

Limit one per patient. Some restrictions apply.

916.480.9000 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

2100 Watt Ave, Unit 190 | Sacramento, CA 95825 | Mon–Sat 10am–6pm 2633 Telegraph Ave. 109 | Oakland, CA 94612 | 510-832-5000 Mon–Sat 10am–6pm | Sun: 12am-6pm RECOMMENDATIONS ARE VALID FOR 1 YEAR FOR QUALIFYING PATIENTS WALK-INS WELCOME ALL DAY EVERYDAY 420 MD OPERATING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

YOUR INFORMATION IS 100% PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE 24/7 AT

www.420MD.org 08.18.16 | SN&R | 51

SN&R’s

come & experience

the difference

at tetra health care No HiddeN fees

45 $ 55

$ LOcATiOnS: Growers direct // canna care // All About Wellness FOr OrderinG inquireS: @medizeninc

www.medizeninc.com

// Ordermedizen@gmail.com

This medication was produced and distributed in compiance with California Compassion Use Act Prop 215 and SB 420 Section 11362.7 of the Health And Saftey Code

52 | SN&R | 08.18.16

first-time renewals patients

Fast, efficient & professional medical setting – California’s Premier 420 Physicians photo id included

ouR evaluaTIons InClude: • Medical recoMMendation • professional Medical setting • 24/7 online verification • laMinated gardening perMit which allows: 12 iMMature plants, 6 Mature plants, and up to 8oz. of dried flower • physicians that care about you feeling better • hipaa coMpliant • cultivators welcoMe

visit our website to see our specials • www.tetrahealthcenters.coM • schedule your appointMent online

916-550-5352 • now open sundays

conveniently located near the arden/watt intersection at

1732 PROFESSIONAL DR., SACRAMENT0

now open fridays 7am to 7pm, get here early to beat the crowd!

Monday - thursday 11aM to 7pM • friday 7aM to 7pM • saturday & sunday 9aM to 2pM

WIDE SELECTION OF

AWARD WINNING

FLOWERS & EXTRACTS FOR EXPRESS ORDERS CALL 916.849.2199

916.476.4344

@916NHC FACEBOOK.COM/916NORTHSTAR

JOIN OUR VIP

PROGRAM BY TEXTING VIP TO 916.945.9484

MONDAY & FRIDAY: DONATE TOWARDS ONE GRAM OF CONCENTRATE AND GET THE SECOND ONE HALF OFF

1236 C STREET

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, OPEN 9:00AM - 9:00PM 7 DAYS A WEEK

08.18.16 | SN&R | 53

SN&R’s

TOP DOC fastest evaluations in town - no lines. best price. most options.

$35 $55 renewals offer exp. 9.22.16

new

offer exp. 9.22.16

GROWERS REC $75 $100 $150 33 plants

offer exp. 9.22.16

66 plants

offer exp. 9.22.16

99 plants

offer exp. 9.22.16

free id card, free laminate, & free dab!!! with recommendation, for members only.

cominG soon

alien weed it’s out of this world!

54 | SN&R | 08.18.16

text or leave a messaGe at: 916.572.5215 1506 sproule ave, sacramento, ca 95811 open mon-sat 10am - 7pm

er 6 years v o perienc e ex

zombie wax 1/2 price

Photo by ken magri

Sky Siegel started using cannabis following a painful double mastectomy.

After exploring different options, she now uses a vape pen to manage her pain.

by ken magri

Semper Fi, Sky

One veteran’s journey to find pain relief following breast cancer Without her own car, Sky hoped for a delivery service, but she says only one dispensary delivers to Elk Grove, “and they wanted twice as much.” Instead she arranges weekly rides over to SAS, wearing her U.S. Marine shirt and Parris Island cap to get a much-deserved 20 percent veteran discount. “Chris [at SAS] is really nice,” says Sky, who adds that she appreciates the renewed respect former armed forces personnel receive at all dispensaries.

“I got a cannabis card and went to my first dispensary, and these people were so knowledgeable!”

NoW N No oW o WA Acce AccePTiNG ccePTi PTiNG iNG

neW patients

free gift f o r n e W pa t i e n t s

our mediciNe is lAb TesTed for cannaBinoid levels & contaminants like mol d, m i l de W, & p e st ici de s f or you r s a f et y

educated, experienced, kNoWledGeAble sTAff her Bs | concen t r at es topicals | ediBles | clones free services for members: accupressure, yoga, reiki, massage, sound therapy

veteran, senior, activist, a.d.a. p patient discounts

Otherwise, Sky is noticeably discreet and somewhat guarded about her usage, even with people close to her, such as the gentleman she currently dates. “It’s so funny. We were watching ‘Family Feud’ and something came up about marijuana, and I said, ‘What are your thoughts about that?’” Sky’s friend mentioned that he smoked on occasion, and instantly the couple had something in common.

3015 H street sacramento, cA 916.822.4717

www.ATherapeuticAlternative.com

9am–9pm everyday

g st

alhambra

Sky Siegel, Medical marijuana patient

Bus-80

S

itting on a giant living-room couch with her cat and a vape pen in hand, 68-yearold Sky Siegel could be a poster child for California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

The shy Vietnam-era Marine veteran from Elk Grove grew up on the East Coast and mostly stayed away from marijuana.

“I was 19 and remember going to a party in New York,” Sky says. “All I remember is sniffing something I thought was oregano, and then I woke up.”

But decades later a cancer diagnosis would change her outlook on cannabis. Three years ago Sky underwent chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, had some lymph nodes removed, then endured a double mastectomy.

“I got nauseous all the time,” she says. “Then came the pain in my breasts, which the oncologist says is not uncommon.” Traditional medications weren’t helping, so she took a chance and tried cannabis again.

Sky started out smoking buds she had acquired without a prescription, but it didn’t help much. “So I got a cannabis card and went to my first dispensary,” she says, “and these people were so knowledgeable!” She learned the difference between sativa and indica strains, and how to choose specific strains for her needs. But again, Sky’s results were mixed.

After a foray into edibles that still left her unsatisfied, a budtender at Safe Accessible Solutions recommended vape pens. Currently she consumes around three Emerald Farms indica cartridges per week, using an Absolute Extracts adjustable battery.

h st

*Doctor’s recommendation & CA I.D. required *Doctor’s

Produced by N&R Publications, a division of News & Review.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 55

SN&R’s

56 | SN&R | 08.18.16

08.18.16 | SN&R | 57

SN&R’s Winner 4 ye ars in a roW! ’13

’13

’13

B e St m e d i cal mar ij uana c li n i c - Sac r am e nto n e wS an d r e vi e w r e ad e r S ’ p o ll ’13

’13

’13

me d

$ 55

n e w pati e ntS

v a l i d t h r ouGh 08 / 31 / 16

e valuations

$ 45

40 $50

$

downtown Sacr amento • 2015 Q street • (916) 476 - 6142 open mon - sat 11am to 6pm • sun 11a-5p sun

Expires 08/24/16

Photo ID

available for

$15

w/ couPoN exP. 8/24/16 SNR

New PatieNt w/ couPoN exP. 8/24/16 SNR Blvd om Fols

renewa l with c opy of a d

G e t a p proved o r no ch a r Ge! • 2 4 /7 ve r i f i c at i on s ! hi pa a c o m p l i a nt • 10 0 % d octo r / pa ti e n t c on f i de n t i ali t y ñol eSpa ño l h a Bl a el vie r n e S

58 | SN&R | 08.18.16

ReNewalS

Bradshaw

4 20

’13 ’14

Get Your Recommendation!

North Of Hwy 50 @ Bradshaw & Folsom Blvd

50

Routier

S i m ply th e B e St

- Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Sun 11am-5pm NOTICE TO CONSUMERS: The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 ensures that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use cannabis for medical purposes where medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of medical cannabis. Recommendations must come from an attending physician as defined in Section 11362.7 of the Health and Safety Code. Cannabis is a Schedule I drug ’14 according to the federal Controlled Substances Act. Activity related to cannabis use is subject to federal prosecution, regardless of the protections provided by state law.

’13

caNN-Medical

9719A Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 916-822-5690 • www.cannmedical.org

4. ABATIN 2100 29th St

13. HORIZON COLLECTIVE 3600 Power Inn Rd

21. SAFE CAPITOL COMPASSION 135 Main Ave

6. ALPINE ALTERNATIVE 8112 Alpine Ave

15. FLORIN WELLNESS CENTER 421 47th Ave

23. THC 6666 Fruitridge

16. GREEN DOOR METRO 6492 Florin Perkins Rd

24. TWO RIVERS 315 N 10th St

8. CC 101 6435 Florin Perkins Rd

17. GREEN SOLUTIONS 1404 28th St

25. VALLEY HEALTH OPTIONS 1421 Auburn Blvd

9. CLOUD 9 5711 Florin Perkins Rd

18. NORTHSTAR HOLISTIC COLLECTIVE 1236 C St

26. ZEN GARDEN WELLNESS 2201 Northgate Blvd

HAZEL AVE.

WATT AVE.

EL CAMINO AVE. ARDEN WY.

WHITE ROCK RD. J ST.

17

5

2

3

50

FAIR OAKS BLVD.

4

80

13

FOLSOM BLVD.

6 FRUITRIDGE RD.

15

22 24TH ST

7. AMC 1220 Blumenfeld Dr

18

C ST.

1

19

11 7

99 FLORIN RD.

23

14 20

9 8

16 FLORIN PERKINS

20. S.A.S. 8125 36th Ave

GREENBACK LN. AUBURN BLVD.

FULTON AVE.

12. HIGHLANDS HEALTH & WELLNESS 4020 Durock Rd

22. SOUTH SAC CARE CENTER 114 A Otto Circle

160 60

24

3. A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE 3015 H St

14. HOUSE OF ORGANICS 8848 Fruitridge Rd

RALEY BLVD.

26

19. RIVER CITY PHOENIX 1508 El Camino Ave

5. ALL ABOUT WELLNESS 1900 19th St

25

POWER INN RD.

11. GOLDEN HEALTH & WELLNESS 1030 Joellis Way

12

21 ST ST.

2. 515 BROADWAY 515 Broadway

5

NORTHGATE BLVD.

10. DOCTOR’S ORDERS 1704 Main Ave

10

80

16 TH ST.

1. 1841 EL CAMINO 1841 El Camino

21

12 Th ST.

CAPITAL CANNABIS MAP

08.18.16 | SN&R | 59

SN&R’s we havse! edible

top shelf • indica • sativa • hybrid

Featuring: outdoor - ogk • blue dream • indoor - purple k • bubba k

don ate for 1 oz , ge t 1/2 oz shake free platinum og

110/200

$

.5 oz / 1 oz

bubba k indoor

100/180

$

.5 oz / 1 oz

new wax • thc inhalers • edibles • suckers • thrOat lOzenges

dank city collective delivery only: (916) 216–5616

Open 10am tO 7pm mOn–sun • dr. recOmmendatiOn & ca id required

2201 Northgate Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95833 *No coupon stacking, not valid for @sherbinski415 & @the_real_king_cookie strains ** some exclusions apply *** of equal or lesser value. exp. 8.24.16

we have the best & healthiest clones in town!

limited edition shatter

lemon tree & mochi available

BUILD YOUR NEW COMMERCIAL

CANNABIS ENTERPRISE

IN SACRAMENTO! Abdallah Law Group, P.C.

SPECIALIZING IN SUCCESSFUL: • Conditional Use Permit (CUP) applications accepted as a first come, first served processCAN BE PREPARED EARLY! • Cannabis business applications flowers & nug run oil

DAILY SPECIALS Monday

Patients Choice Choose from any daily special

Tuesday

TwAx wooDS By @The_reAl_kiNG_Cookie

Thursday

Saturday

Free Gram w/donation towards any 1/8th

Free Gram w/donation towards any 1/8th

Shatter Day 15% off all concentrates**

Vape Day 15% off all vape products**

Free J Friday w/min donation of $30

Donate towards 3 edibles, get the 4th free!***

Wednesday

www.ZEN916.com | 916.292.8120 @ Zen_Garden916 follow us open 10am-9pm 7 days a week 60 | SN&R | 08.18.16

Friday

Sunday

Rely on the experts, Abdallah Law Group, P.C. for expertise in the preparation of your application.

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 766 Sacramento, CA 95814 | Abdallah Law Group, P.C.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 61

SN&R’s

62 | SN&R | 08.18.16

FRee will aStRology

by Kris HooKs

by rob brezsny

FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 18, 2016 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Can you imagine

feeling at home in the world no matter where you are? If you eventually master this art, outer circumstances won’t distort your relationship with yourself. No matter how crazy or chaotic the people around you might be, you will remain rooted in your unshakable sense of purpose; you will respond to any given situation in ways that make you both calm and alert, amused and curious, compassionate for the suffering of others and determined to do what’s best for you.

If you think these are goals worth seeking, you can make dramatic progress toward them in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I tried to meditate on your horoscope, my next-door neighbor was wielding a weed-whacker to trim her lawn, and the voices in my head were shouting extra loud.

So I decided to drive down to the marsh to get some high-quality silence. When I arrived at the trailhead, I found an older man in ragged clothes leaning against the fence. Nearby was a grocery cart full of what I assumed were all his earthly belongings. “Doing nothing is a very difficult art,” he croaked as I slipped by him, “because you’re never really sure when you are done.” I immediately recognized that his wisdom might be useful to you. You are, after all, in the last few days of your recharging process. It’s still a good idea for you to lie low and be extra calm and vegetate luxuriously. But when should you rise up and leap into action again? Here’s my guess: Get one more dose of intense stillness and silence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): My readers have a

range of approaches for working with the counsel I offer. Some study the horoscopes for both their sun signs and rising signs, then create do-ityourself blends of the two. Others prefer to wait until the week is over before consulting what I’ve written. They don’t want my oracles to influence their future behavior, but enjoy evaluating their recent past in light of my analysis. Then there are the folks who read all 12 of my horoscopes. They refuse to be hemmed in by just one forecast, and want to be free to explore multiple options.

I encourage you to try experiments like these in the coming days. The moment is ripe to cultivate more of your own unique strategies for using and interpreting the information you absorb—both from me and from everyone else you listen to.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Have you been

drinking a lot of liquids? Are you spending extra time soaking in hot baths and swimming in bodies of water that rejuvenate you? Have you been opening your soul to raw truths that dissolve your fixations and to beauty that makes you cry and to love that moves you to sing? I hope you’re reverently attending to these fluidic needs. I hope you’re giving your deepest yearnings free play and your freshest emotions lots of room to unfold. Smart, well-lubricated intimacy is a luxurious necessity, my dear. Stay very, very wet.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In my opinion, you need

to bask in the glorious fury of at least one brainstorm—preferably multiple brainstorms over the course of the next two weeks. What can you do to ensure that happens? How might you generate a flood of new ideas about how to live your life and understand the nature of reality?

Here are some suggestions: Read books about creativity. Hang around with original thinkers and sly provocateurs. Insert yourself into situations that will strip you of your boring certainties. And take this vow: “I hereby unleash the primal power of my liberated imagination.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When you were a

child, did you play with imaginary friends? During your adolescence, did you nurture a fantasy relationship with a pretend boyfriend or girlfriend?

Since you reached adulthood, have you ever enjoyed consorting with muses or guardian angels or ancestral spirits? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are in a good position to take full advantage of the subtle opportunities and cryptic invitations that are coming your way. Unexpected sources are poised to provide unlikely inspirations in unprecedented ways.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When you were born,

you already carried the seeds of gifts you would someday be able to provide—specific influences or teachings or blessings that only you, of all

the people who have ever lived, could offer the world. How are you doing in your quest to fulfill this potential? Here’s what I suspect: Your seeds have been ripening slowly and surely. But in the coming months, they could ripen at a more rapid pace. Whether they actually do or not may depend on your willingness to take on more responsibilities—interesting responsibilities, to be sure—but bigger than you’re used to.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I suspect that you

will soon be culminating a labor of love you’ve been nurturing and refining for many moons.

How should you celebrate? Maybe with some champagne and caviar? If you’d like to include bubbly in your revels, a good choice might be 2004 Belle Epoque Rose. Its floral aroma and crispy mouth-feel rouse a sense of jubilation as they synergize the flavors of blood orange, pomegranate and strawberry. As for caviar: Consider the smooth, aromatic, and elegant roe of the albino beluga sturgeon from the unpolluted areas of the Caspian Sea near Iran. But before I finish this oracle, let me also add that a better way to honor your accomplishment might be to take the money you’d spend on champagne and caviar, and instead use it as seed money for your next big project.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some

species of weeds become even more robust and entrenched as they develop resistances to the pesticides that are designed to eradicate them.

This is one example of how fighting a problem can make the problem worse—especially if you attack too furiously or use the wrong weapons. I invite you to consider the possibility that this might be a useful metaphor for you to contemplate in the coming weeks. Your desire to solve a knotty dilemma or shed a bad influence is admirable. Just make sure you choose a strategy that actually works.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to compose an essay on at least one of the following themes: (1) “How I Fed and Fed My Demons Until They Gorged Themselves to Death.” (2) “How I Exploited My Nightmares in Ways That Made Me Smarter and Cuter.” (3) “How I Quietly and Heroically Transformed a Sticky Problem into a Sleek Opportunity.”

(4) “How I Helped Myself by Helping Other People.”

For extra credit, Capricorn—and to earn the right to trade an unholy duty for a holy one—write about all four subjects.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suspect that

in the coming months you will be drawn to wandering through the frontiers and exploring the unknown. Experimentation will come naturally. Places and situations you have previously considered to be off-limits may be downright comfortable. In fact, it’s possible that you will have to escape your safety zones in order to fully be yourself. Got all that? Now here’s the kicker.

In the coming weeks, everything I just described will be especially apropos for your closest relationships. Are you interested in redefining and reconfiguring the ways that togetherness works for you?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you’re playing the

card game known as bridge, you’re lucky if you are dealt a hand that has no cards of a particular suit. This enables you, right from the beginning, to capture tricks using the trump suit. In other words, the lack of a certain resource gives you a distinct advantage. Let’s apply this metaphor to your immediate future, Pisces. I’m guessing that you will benefit from what may seem to be an inadequacy or deficit. An absence will be a useful asset.

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.

Life outside the lines Akinsanya Kambon says he isn’t surprised by any of the recent killings of black people by police. The turmoil between the black community and law enforcement is all too familiar for the former Marineturned-Black Panther-turned-art professor, who, in 1968, drew the controversial Black Panther Coloring Book that received national attention for its depiction of children shooting police. SN&R recently talked with Kambon to discuss the provocative book, its oft-confusing history and why its message is still important nearly 50 years later.

What’s the significance behind the coloring book?

What I was doing was trying to—in what’s really a history book—show that all of the bad guys in history are depicted as pigs. Now, it’s called a coloring book, so you can see a pig whichever color you want. It’s not talking about white people, even though there were some Europeans who were involved in slave trade. There were also some Muslims, and there were also some Africans that participated. So however you see the pig, that’s how you color that pig. That’s the reason I called it a coloring book.

There’s a common belief that the coloring book was created by the FBI for Cointelpro, a program aimed to infiltrate and disrupt political organizations. Is that not true?

It’s been like that for years because the [Black] Panther Party said that that’s what the FBI did. But that’s not true. I’m telling you that I did it … I’m the only one who knows that is me because I’m the one who drew it.

This essentially changes the book’s known history.

I’ve always said it was me who did it. I ain’t never said it wasn’t me. I know that I did the book, and when I did it, it was no problem with the Panther party.

What was going on at the time that made you create it?

When I graduated from Sacramento High School, I was semi-illiterate. I could barely read, I read at like a second grade level. I ended up getting drafted into the Marine Corps, and when I got to Vietnam, we used to have these soul sessions, or rap sessions, and we had cats that used to talk about things in history that I never knew. … The things that I experienced in my life is what

PHOTO BY KRIS HOOKS

created that coloring book. I’ve seen how corrupt the police are. I know how they are because I was on their team when I was in the Marine Corps. I was just like a police officer.

my art classes, I’d take a break, go to the cafeteria and sit down and I’d have my drawings with me. The judge rejected it when the lawyers tried to present it.

You left Sacramento after that.

Why come back?

Do you think painting and drawing these memories helps your posttraumatic stress disorder?

When we first got back [from Vietnam], they told us don’t talk about it—that’s the therapy. Don’t talk about it, try to forget about it, it’ll go away eventually. Then they changed. They said whenever you have something stressful you need to talk about it write about it, draw about it—you need to get it out. I think that it does help, because I get everything out of me through this artwork. … I’m so much in my work, and it’s kind of like a spiritual walk that I’m doing.

Why reprint it after all these years?

When you have situations going on in this country where the police are killing black people all over the country just like they used to, I think the book needs to come out again and people need to see it.

The lawyers tried to use the coloring book against you in the Oak Park Four case—the 1970 Black Panthers-involved killing of a police officer. How so?

They tried to introduce it into evidence and the only way they could’ve done that, their key witness, Lamont “Buster” Rose, would have had to have seen me draw it. Well, he didn’t see me draw it, because I drew it when I was at city college. When I was in

Well, because there’s a lot of stuff going on up here in Sacramento and Oakland, and there’s a lot of places where people want to talk about this book. They want to talk to me about certain things, and I came up here because this is where I grew up. I know people, and my whole life is here.

You’re making a follow-up book at some point, too, yes?

I’m coming out with another one after this, but it’s going to be more in-depth. There won’t be any children, and it’s gonna start with [Pope Nicholas V’s authorization of slavery in Portugal in 1452]. I got a lot the drawings already done. … It’s going to be a lot more comprehensive, because what I’m trying to do is get an understanding of how people can subjugate another people and enslave them.

Will you be adding stuff about the more recent police killings of black people?

I thought about doing a lot of the more recent stuff, but, man, they’re just killing too much.

Ω

Learn more about Akinsanya Kambon’s work at http://tinyurl.com/gsnrsb6.

08.18.16 | SN&R | 63