s-2016-11-24 by News & Review

MicHelle rHee goes to wasHington

KanYePocalYPse

Family, drama and so much booze How to get tHrougH tHe season alive

’s U T SN & R C H EC K O

H O L IDAY G U ID E S U R V IVA L LE M EN T RT IS IN G SP EC IA L AD VE

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! S E E IN S ID E

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Volume 28, iSSue 32

wedneSday, noVemBer 23, 2016

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2 | SN&R | 11.23.16

EditoR’S NotE

NoVEMBER 23, 2016 | Vol. 28, iSSuE 32

04 05 06 13 14 23 24 27 28 30 37 43 59

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

30 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 Lead Director of First Impressions & Sales Assistant David Lindsay Director of First Impressions Hannah Williams Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Services Assistant Larry Schubert Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Kimberly Bordenkircher, Daniel Bowen, Heather Brinkley,

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59 Allen Brown, Mike Cleary, Jack Clifford, Lydia Comer, Rob Dunnica, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Joanna Gonzalez-Brown, Greg Meyers, Aswad Morland, Kenneth Powell, Gilbert Quilatan, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Jonathan Taea, Lori Lovell 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 Consultant Julie Sherry Marketing & Publications Consultant Steve Caruso President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Executive Coordinator Carlyn Asuncion Director of People & Culture David Stogner 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 Developer John Bisignano, Jonathan Schultz System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

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Finding thanks It’s almost Thanksgiving but I’m finding myself struggling when it comes to finding things for which to be thankful. It’s been a rough year for many reasons, not the least of which is the outcome of the recent presidential election and its continuing onslaught of overt hatred, racism, xenophobia, half-truths and outright lies. Still, I’m grateful for friends and family members who get how crucial this election was—and how devastating its aftermath is. I’m grateful for those who campaigned, donated and voted; I’m thankful for those who are now joining activist groups, making political phone calls, donating to critical organizations and protesting. I am thankful for every person I know who has pledged to fight on and refuses to accept a racist, sexist, xenophobic president-elect—or give him a “chance.” The time for chances ended long ago during the campaign—probably around the time he called Mexicans “rapists” or mocked a disabled reporter. I’m thankful for everyone who refuses to let this go. As such, I’m thankful to be a journalist and to have the opportunity to work at SN&R. This is a newspaper built on a solid work ethic, an embrace of critical thinking and unwavering ideals. Part of our mission is to be a watchdog against hatred, wrongdoing, corruption and basic horrible-ness— in whatever way possible. That mission is one embodied by every department in the building and in the days since the election, our small but scrappy staff has doubled down, strengthening our resolve and commitment to good journalism and basic human decency. And for that I am very thankful.

—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.

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I haven’t really had one. My Thanksgivings are scattered, so I come from a family who’s, a divorced family, so I’ve got like three different, four different parents to go visit. So, mine’s just chaotic. I have about four Thanksgivings in one Thanksgiving.

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Fear the people

Political system, gamed Re “Not their president” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R News, November 17): This the first time in eight years I’ve disagreed with President Barack Obama [on his urging to accept the fact that Donald Trump will be the next president]. I accept that we just had a presidential election and that Hillary Clinton won the majority vote count and that Donald Trump lost the election. Yet there he is in all his smugness as president-elect. I will never accept the lying, cheating and dishonesty that has become a way of life for the Republican Party nor should any other American. By accepting that the Republicans gamed and stole the 2000 presidential election, we gave the GOP an open door to continue their deceiving ways. Republican’s gerrymandered voting districts around the country to favor their candidates in the 2014 election and the GOP gained control of Congress. Trump Republicans gamed the archaic and flawed Electoral College again this year; they lost the presidential election, lost the popular vote by 1.5 million votes, and yet Republican Donald Trump is president to be. Do you think Republicans have any incentive to stop stealing elections if nothing is done to them?

Ron Lowe nev ada C i t y

Re “Not their president” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R News, November 17): That woman in picture six [holding a sign that reads “People shouldn’t fear their governments. Governments should fear their people.”] can rest assured that many in our government have new found reasons to fear the people. Jose Gonzalez Roseville

Culture vs. geography Re “Sticking by Ajay” by Matt Kramer (SN&R News, November 10): Nida Valmores comment regarding Asian and Pacific Islanders and their patriarchal societies doesn’t really apply to this case. Yes, Ajay and the victim are both from Nepal, however, Peggy and all their

ONLINE BUZZ

friends who were supposedly in the same room (and on one occasion the same bed) during some of the rapes but saw nothing are not Nepali. None of them were raised in that type of environment and all of them would have aided the victim and reported. Becky Cox Yachats, Oregon

On a lOCal Fire engineer’s FaCebOOk POst Calling tO use “illegal immigrants” FOr “target PraCtiCe”:

Finding hope

Can you also do an article on the Anti Trumpers mouthing off on social media? You know balanced..... the hammer swings both ways.

Re “Meet Joey Garcia” by Joey Garcia (SN&R Feature Story, October 20): I listened intently to your interview with Scott Syphax on PBS. Your Belizean roots and your teen Girls Leadership program caught my attention. Your story and life journey is sad but hopeful. Your determination to live life on your own terms, fully aware of your unique gift to heal others is admirable. Hilliealfreda Castillo Sacramento

Jeanne GiLLespie LaRsson v ia Fa c e b o o k

on the (stiLL) unbeLievabLe eLeCtion oF DonaLD tRump: Many people here voted for Trump, and others like me, Libertarian. Put your personal politics aside and just post news.

steven moRRisRoe v ia Fa c e b o o k

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

11.23.16 | SN&R | 5

If President-elect Donald Trump chooses Michelle Rhee to be his education secretary, it could put Sacramento’s First Lady in conflict with her stated priorities. ILLUSTRATION BY SERENE LUSANO

Make America dumb again What Michelle Rhee’s meeting with Donald Trump says about the president-elect’s education priorities by Raheem F. hosseini and John Flynn

An extended version of this story is available at www.newsreview .com/sacramento.

6 | SN&R

The rumors that controversial charter school champ Michelle Rhee could be the nation’s next education czar accelerated Saturday when she and husband, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, emerged from a meeting with Presidentelect Donald Trump outside the swanky New Jersey clubhouse where Trump has been making cabinet-seekers kiss his ring. And, on the surface, that all seems strange. After all, Trump is the divisive Republican billionaire who wants to deport | 11.23.16

11 million undocumented immigrants, ban Muslims from entering the country, overturn women’s reproductive rights and who anointed a white nationalist as his closest political adviser. What could Sacramento’s first couple have in common with such a man? Turns out, more than it would appear. Rhee is one of a dozen people that have been mentioned for the education secretary post, and joins other “school choice” proponents like Indiana Rep. Luke Messer and Eva Moskowitz, a New York

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charter school executive who withdrew from contention last week after taking part in The Donald’s pageant-style cabinet auditions. For her part, Rhee has maintained radio silence on the topic of Trump. Like other media outlets, SN&R was unable to reach Rhee for an interview, and the mayor’s office ignored multiple requests for comment. But there are plenty of signs why Trump and Rhee could make a simpatico team, and what Rhee’s candidacy suggests

about the president-elect’s education goals, say education policy experts. According to Julian Vasquez Heilig, a Sacramento State University professor of educational leadership and policy studies, Trump is espousing a pro-market philosophy adopted by the corporate education interests that Rhee runs in circles with. Trump has also indicated a desire to completely warp the public educational system by shifting $20 billion in federal education spending into expanding student vouchers and privatized charter schools. Heilig says that could only happen if Trump guts federal education entitlements like Title 1, which provides funding to the poorest public schools. The effects could speed up the segregation that already exists in many school districts, Heilig says, and wither public schools into near collapse. “A lot of people think that what Trumps says sounds good, but a lot of people don’t understand the implication of what it means,” said Heilig, director of Sac State’s Doctorate in Educational Leadership program and an education blogger. “Our public education would be completely different than what we have now,” he added. “You could actually see more districts go bankrupt.”

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BacKPage BacK in court the teachers’ unions actually invented the idea of charter schools during the 1980s, Heilig says. Back then, the notion was to create schools run by teachers and community members, cutting out middlemen administrators. But by the ’90s, the plan had been co-opted by private management conglomerates that looked to schools as profit-vessels, and teachers disavowed the model. Vouchers, on the other hand, originated in the South as a way to outmaneuver the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, “to make sure white kids don’t have to go to school with black kids,” Heilig said. They’ve since been repackaged as a golden ticket to poor students in failing schools, but that’s not how they work over time, Heilig says. In Florida, for instance, vouchers were first issued to low-income students, but then expanded to the greater population in a baitand-switch that left poor children stranded in undercapitalized schools. “Over time, it actually made schools more segregated,” Heilig said. That’s because privately-run schools can decide which vouchers they accept, while public schools cannot. So a private or parochial school can deny a minority student with special needs, for instance, and only accept vouchers from affluent white students with good test scores and who can pay additional tuition. “It might even exacerbate segregation of rich and poorer schools,” said Robert Bifulco, an associate professor of public administration and a senior research associate at the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University. Public schools are then left with the most challenging students and not enough resources to serve them, creating a vicious cycle of plummeting enrollment, school closures and bankruptcies. And that’s really the intent, Heilig says, borne of a free-market ideology that believes schools should be able to profit and segregate. “It has nothing to do with poor kids,” Heilig said of vouchers. Despite Rhee’s previous vocal support for disenfranchised students, could Trump make her a Trojan horse for such an agenda? like trump, rhee’s rise to celebrity owes more to attitude than accomplishments. “Michelle Rhee is more of a pundit than she is an educator,” Heilig noted. The former chancellor of Washington, D.C.’s public school system, Rhee earned a tough reputation for taking on teachers and raising test scores. In speaking engagements and media interviews, Rhee has been

eager to paint herself as a fearless reformer who stuck up for poor kids and axed bad teachers. But her actual record is mixed. As chancellor, Rhee fired more than 600 teachers over low test scores and awarded more than $1.5 million in merit-pay bonuses in 2007 and 2008 for boosted test scores, USA Today reported in 2013. But those improvements were cast into doubt when a widespread cheating scandal at as many as 70 schools came to light, prompting two government probes and leading to Rhee’s abrupt exit in 2010. “Rhee’s tenure in D.C. was quite explosive,” said UC Berkeley education and public policy professor Bruce Fuller. “The objective record is mixed … and she overplayed her hand politically.” The latter trait continued in 2011, when Rhee founded StudentsFirst, claiming the organization would be a political wrecking ball able to swing elections against powerful teacher lobbies. But the organization sagged below its founder’s $1 billion fundraising vow and Rhee stepped down in 2014, she wrote in a blog post, so she could focus on her family and support “my husband in the tremendous work he is doing as he continues to move forward with his career.” That political career stalled over resurgent allegations that Johnson has sexually abused girls while a professional basketball player in Phoenix and at the St. Hope charter schools he founded in Oak Park. Ironically, it could be Rhee’s career that takes off if she’s chosen to steer education policy at a national level by a politician who also faces numerous allegations of sexual abuse. Politico reporter Carla Marinucci tweeted on Sunday that Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the Republican and Rhee “enjoyed an in-depth discussion” about education topics like merit pay for teachers and charter schools. Spicer didn’t respond to an SN&R request for comment. But three education policy experts interviewed by SN&R all said that Rhee would be a polarizing choice for education secretary, and worried that Trump could worsen America’s school system, especially if he intends to sharply expand school-choice vouchers across the nation. He’s also threatened to dismantle Common Core, a program that Rhee supports. Noting a bipartisan fatigue over “the militarized pursuit of more and more testing,” Fuller believes Trump could face a backlash. “Centralized and pro-market reform has run its course,” he said. “Essentially, it’s collapsed from opposition from both

the right and the left. And if Michelle Rhee wants to bring that back, good luck.” Reached by phone, St. Hope’s vice president of programs and operations, Adrianne Hall, confirmed that Rhee still served on the board of St. Hope Public Schools, but declined to comment on the education secretary rumors. She referred further questions to the company’s spokeswoman, who didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline. The California Charter Schools Association also declined comment until after an official nomination was made, a spokesman said. Today, Rhee sits on the boards of 50Can Action Fund Inc., Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. and St. Hope. Fuller thinks Rhee might not be on board with all of The Donald’s ideas. “I think she actually cares about poor kids,” he said. clad in slacks and collared shirts, roughly 100 students attending St. Hope’s PS7 and Sacramento High charter schools came to the Serna Center to support the rechartering of their schools last Thursday. They snapped their fingers to punctuate the speech of Jim Scheible, St. Hope’s chief advancement officer, as he explained that the two schools surpass state and county achievement levels for Hispanic and African-American students—particularly those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. “The kids just have a fire unlike any I’ve seen before,” said Dianna Tejada, an English teacher at Sac High. “Everything we do is very centered on making sure our kids make it to college and make it through college.” In the past, St. Hope has been dogged by allegations of misusing federal funds and sexual abuse allegations leveled against Johnson. But the malfeasances of the higher-ups don’t seem to have impacted the day-to-day. Scheible admitted he’d like to increase diversity, bolster special education programs and improve Sac High’s lower-than-average SAT and ACT scores. But he also noted that, in 2015, 86 percent of their students took the SAT and 100 percent took the ACT—twice and five times higher than the state and county rates. The final student speaker, senior Yuliett Gonzalez, played a Univision clip about a Sac High graduate who was the first in her family to attend a four-year college. She translated as it played in Spanish, just nine days after Trump’s upset election. Rhee, preparing for her interview with Trump, was not in attendance. Ω

Prepared to toss out the state’s case on first amendment grounds last week, a Sacramento Superior Court judge instead gave outgoing attorney general Kamala harris one more chance to explain why an online classified business should be held criminally responsible for the prostitution ads of its customers. The criminal case against Backpage.com’s three principals was wobbling on constitutional grounds when Judge Michael Bowman accepted Deputy Attorney General Maggy Krell’s request to file a detailed brief alleging the ways that Backpage actually produced content advertising prostitution services, rather than just hosting them. Backpage attorneys had argued that defendants Carl Ferrer, Michael Gerard Lacey and James Larkin were protected both by the First Amendment and a section of the federal Communications Decency Act, which immunizes online publishers from the actions of its third-party users. Bowman was leaning in agreement, even writing a tentative ruling dismissing the case, but held it after Krell said she would be able to lay out explicit evidence why the CDA didn’t apply. As for why she hadn’t sooner, she told the court, “I didn’t think we had to.” The state’s brief is due November 28. Backpage will have the opportunity to respond to it, after which Bowman expects to issue a final ruling on the request for dismissal on December 16. In a press conference held after last week’s ruling, members of the Sacramento chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project said closing websites like Backpage forces those who have no choice but to prostitute themselves for survival into even more dangerous working conditions. Whether that is true or not isn’t something the court will be considering. (Raheem F. Hosseini)

the doctor iS Win Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones has conceded defeat in his bid to take the Seventh congressional district from two-time incumbent Ami Bera, leaving the congressman to head back to Washington, D.C., into what he calls “uncharted territory.” The Associated Press ultimately called the race last Friday, after the latest numbers released showed Bera up by more than 6,000 votes. Jones placed a call to the congressman to concede the same afternoon. Meanwhile, Bera has been watching President-elect donald trump’s cabinet appointments almost as closely as his district’s vote tallies. On Monday, Bera told SN&R that he’ll be returning to a Capitol Hill veiled in political confusion and uncertainty. “Right now it’s about finding out how much of [Trump’s] rhetoric from the campaign trail is actually going to try to be implemented,” Bera said. “If we see that his administration attempts to do things that divide us as a people along racial and ethnic lines, we’re absolutely going to fight that.” In terms of President Barack Obama’s call for Americans to be open-minded about Trump, Bera emphasized that recent cabinet appointments by the president-elect are causing immediate concern. “Someone like Sen. [Jeff] Sessions has said some very incendiary things in the past,” Bera noted of Trump’s pick for attorney general. “So it’s a question of what is the administration really going to do?” Bera also looked to issues where Democrats might find common ground with the new administration. “If he sincerely wants to lower health care costs and the price of prescription drugs, we can look at that,” Bera said, “but he can’t just do that in a way that is going to leave millions of people suddenly without health insurance.” (Scott Thomas Anderson)

11.23.16 | SN&R | 7

8 | SN&R | 11.23.16

Sacramento Mayor-elect Darrel Steinberg speaks during the November 16 grand opening of a new outpatient therapy center in east Sacramento. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT CLARK PHOTOGRAPHY

A place to go New east Sacramento outpatient center allows students, workers to squeeze in therapy by Corey rodda and raheem F. hosseini

A grand opening in east Sacramento last week provided Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg the opportunity to weigh in on one of his favorite policy topics: mental health. The Sutter Center for Psychiatry unveiled its new outpatient center on November 16, now relocated from a retail section of Howe Avenue to across the street from Sutter’s inpatient center on Folsom Boulevard. At nearly 10,000 square feet, the facility is almost double the size of the old center, offering children and adults access to individual, group and pet therapy, as well as classes, without hospitalization. The program is the only one in the greater Sacramento region that is part of a nonprofit health-care system, Sutter Health Valley Area said in a release. Sutter’s inpatient center, meanwhile, is the only one in Northern California with beds for children under 12. Plans are in place to eventually offer a children’s outpatient program as well, the release stated.

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“Any day we cut a ribbon to evening programs, aimed at patients who expand mental health care services want to obtain mental health support in Sacramento is a great day,” said without disrupting their careers or schoolSteinberg, who made his ing, are new to the center and will comments in a room with begin this month at three to an industrial design, four hours a session. with poured concrete “At the end of the floors and exposed day, mental health duct work, before is brain health and touring the rest mental illness can of the facility. be looked at as The rest of something that the building is going on in was outfitted for the brain,” said healing—accent Sutter Center walls are photofor Psychiatry Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg wrapped with CEO John Boyd, nature scenes from commissioner all over the world and of the California each therapy room was Mental Health Services designed by the therapists Oversight and Accountability who utilize them in order to enhance Commission. “Many people don’t want their group sessions. There are also differ- to speak up if they are going through a ent entrances for patients of different mental health challenge and just stepage groups, who will be able to access ping into a healing environment can be after-work or after-school therapy. Those transformative.”

“This issue knows no artificial boundaries.”

“This is what we need more of in Sacramento and in California,” Steinberg said. “I am going to have the privilege of raising my hand in a couple of weeks and become the mayor of this city, and these issues of mental health and homelessness and early prevention, as John Boyd talked about, are going to be front and center in our city.” The county has already been experimenting with different approaches to reaching its mentally ill homeless population. Earlier this month, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors doubled the amount of mobile crisis support teams that pair law enforcement with county mental health clinicians, intended to offer alternatives to inappropriate hospitalizations or unnecessary incarcerations. Currently, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Sacramento Police Department run one team apiece, in south Sacramento and downtown, respectively. Out of the 338 people the teams have contacted through June 30, the county says 70 were either connected to homeless mental health services or shelters. Another 26 required emergency medical care. As mayor, Steinberg says he wants to ameliorate the city’s mental health and homelessness challenges. While he has no official power over mental health services—that resides with the county— Steinberg has already expressed interest in working with supervisors. There’s little doubt about his qualifications. When the state shifted $2 billion in mental health funding to put roofs over the heads of mentally ill homeless people back in June, that was seen as a victory for Steinberg, the former state senate leader who authored the funding bill. Steinberg says he is hoping to use his legislative connections to pull a decent amount of funding into the city. The new outpatient center, meanwhile, will reach a different part of the population. “We talk a lot about the unending cycles that involve untreated mental illness,” Steinberg said. “And certainly homelessness is the most visible manifestation of untreated mental illness. But it’s not just homelessness. It’s family members.” The mayor-elect knows about that personally. His daughter, Jordana Steinberg, lives with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. “This issue knows no artificial boundaries,” Steinberg added. “It doesn’t know class. It doesn’t know race. It doesn’t know neighborhood. It knows no gender, it knows no sexual orientation. Everybody knows somebody.” Ω

11.23.16 | SN&R | 9

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record-setting drought. Anita Johnson, a The president-elect may believe climate change is a China-propagated hoax, but Sacramento County Sacramento resident who attended the first workshop, said the public needs to realize “how dire the officials are taking a serious, if somewhat resigned, situation is.” look at how to limit the projected local impacts. In September, the state passed Senate Bill 32, According to NASA, 97 percent of the world’s scientists agree that climate change is real and being extending and expanding the target emissions reductions of the California Global Warming sped up by human activity. With county officials Solutions Act of 2006. “SB 32 calls for a steep 40 saying the region’s famed Mediterranean climate is percent reduction below 1990 emission levels by under threat for as much as eight times the current 2030,” de Kok said. “We’re on track to get there.” triple-digit weather, the question isn’t only how to The county is hoping to chip in with by reducing mitigate it, but how to live with it. emissions 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. de To address both questions, officials are developKok emphasized the need for the county to update ing a local climate action plan. Sacramento County its targets for 2030 and 2050, as well as find ways held two public workshops as part of that plan, on to reduce or eliminate emissions altogether. November 15 at the Louise Perez Resource Center But state and local efforts to keep the earth in south Sacramento and on November 16 at F.C. going run in stark contrast to the next Joyce Elementary in North Highlands. president’s environmental priorities. According to John Lundgren, President-elect Donald J. Trump senior planner and environmental picked a climate-change denier analyst for the county’s “Some of the to lead his Environmental Planning and Environmental Protection Agency transiReview, the public needs risks we expect tion team and has pledged to be informed about to see are increased to sabotage America’s what to expect from a temperatures [and] participation in the Paris warming 916. climate deal signed last “In Sacramento increased frequency of December by nearly 200 County, some of the extreme heat events.” nations. risks we expect to see Not everyone thinks are increased temperaJohn Lundgren Sacramento is doing tures [and] increased environmental analyst, Sacramento enough. Workshop attendee frequency of extreme heat County Planning and Veronica Herrera expressed events,” Lundgren said. Environmental Review the concern that lower-income Extreme heat events constiand suburban areas in the unincortute days where the temperature porated county lack access to public exceeds 102 degrees Fahrenheit, transit and bike and pedestrian pathways. according to the presentation given by And Katie Valenzuela Garcia, who represents Erik de Kok, senior planner and project manager Sacramento on the California Environmental Justice for Ascent Environmental Inc., an environmental Advisory Committee and attended the first meeting, consulting firm in Sacramento. The county may suggested local efforts fell short in specific areas. start experiencing these events 20 to 40 days a year “I was pretty disheartened to hear that most by 2050, de Kok said—as opposed to the historical of our reductions are going to come from state average of four days per year. measures,” Valenzuela Garcia said. “We’re a little Concrete sprawl is another problem. There are passive in how we plan. I think we could be holding areas in the county where stretches of pavement ourselves a lot more accountable for things we go unbroken by trees and shade, creating an urban can do at the local level to make ourselves more heat-island effect, de Kok said, trapping smoggy, resilient.” Ω stagnant air between buildings and reflecting it off hot asphalt during extreme heat events. And Sacramento, like the rest of the state, An extended version of this story is available at is gradually losing its natural water reservoir www.newsreview.com/sacramento. in the Sierra Nevada thanks to California’s

Use ‘illegal immigrants’ for ‘target practice,’ Sacramento fire engineer said in Facebook posts

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A Sacramento fire engineer who suggested using “illegal immigrants” as “target practice” in Facebook posts from August took them down after being contacted by SN&R. The posts, from a Facebook user named Don Martin, suggested violence against undocumented immigrants coming into America and compared post-election “riots in the streets” to Planet of the Apes. He also shared a post by the Prepare To Take America Back page that asked, “If war came to American soil, would you fight?”, to which Martin added, “I would argue that it already arrived!” In a November 18 email, Capt. Michelle Eidam confirmed that Donald Martin works as a fire engineer for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department. “The political views or personal statements made by our employees should not be construed to be those of Metro Fire,” she wrote. “Nonetheless, these comments are regrettable.” The screen shots were originally brought to the attention of SN&R by a Facebook page advertising an anti-Trump rally last Friday. The rally drew hundreds from the state Capitol to the Tower Bridge to protest the nativist positions held by Presidentelect Donald Trump. Since being contacted, Martin has deleted the Facebook post about using “illegal immigrants” as “target practice.” The Planet of the Apes post has also been deleted, though that may have happened before the account was contacted. The comment about a war on American soil remains up. The current profile picture of the Facebook page shows a man clad in what appears to be a formal firefighter’s uniform. An earlier profile picture matches the current profile picture of a LinkedIn user also named Don Martin. This Don Martin lists that he is a realtor and has been a fire engineer with the SMFD for the last 25 years. The Facebook profile posted an ad for a realtor also named Don Martin that used the same LinkedIn profile picture. When SN&R emailed the address listed for the realtor Don Martin, the person answering from the account said they were “not interested” in an interview and did not give permission to print the name they signed the emails with. The person did not confirm or deny that they operated the Facebook account or that they worked for the fire department. “Your approach gives me pause given the blindness of your motives, subject, and my unfamiliarity with you,” the email read. According to Transparent California, a Donald Martin Jr. made $235,856 in total pay and benefits as an SMFD fire engineer in 2015. A recent audit showed that 72 percent of the city of Sacramento’s sworn firefighters are white. Similar figures weren’t immediately available for SMFD, which covers much of the unincorporated county through a union of 16 fire departments. The pictures of Don Martin are of a white man. Martin also shared a post quoting an anti-violence message from Martin Luther King Jr. Ω

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12 | SN&R | 11.23.16

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

Tea is a State of Mind

Kanyepoclypse

i saw

K a n ye in sacraMento

and all i got wa s

my money back

- 30

sacramento state’s state hornet is fighting the good fight to remain on its J Street campus. The student-run newspaper paid its $21,000 annual fees to operate out of the campus’s Student Union, but a long-term construction project led to reassignment of the newsroom to Folsom Hall on Folsom Boulevard—even as other student organizations were able to relocate to temporary on-campus offices. Former State Hornets contributors like Sam Amick, currently an NBA writer for USA TODAY, have begun tweeting to University President Robert Nelsen to reconsider the decision. As a State Hornet editorial on the subject says, the exile “casts doubt on whether this administration wants the next generation of journalists to be ‘Made at Sac State.’”

- 21,000 Kings’ best play Kings big man DeMarcus cousins treated 150 kids from the Sacramento Boys & Girls club to a private, early screening of Disney’s Moana. In case you were wondering what the athlete thought of the kids film: He gave the latest Disney animation flick five out of five stars.

+ 150

towering Doubt Remember when Midtowners appeared before the city council to decry the building of Yamanee, saying it would set a precedent of towers that block out the sun? Welp, now city

council has unanimously approved another tower for the grid, this one 11 stories tall, standing at 124 feet. It’s scheduled for construction at 19th and J streets. Currently the district has a height cap of 65 feet.

be the art

- 59

Want more immersive arts projects locally? Start donating. The M5 Arts collective, which brought the Art Hotel to the Jade Apartments in February, is accepting donations for its next big idea, the Art Street. the art

street will be in a 65,000-square-foot industrial warehouse at 300 First Avenue, as part of the 32-acre Mill at Broadway development. They need $150,000. Cool, right?

+ 150,000

here is an age-old story of a samurai warrior that took his friend and tea master with him everywhere he went. Within this unlikely brotherhood is an appreciation of perfection in the other’s art form. One evening while traveling, the two were challenged by opposing samurai warriors. A time and date were set for the duel. Once alone, the tea master asked his friend for guidance in the ways of the samurai. After some thought, the samurai instructed his friend the tea master to perform the ritual of the tea ceremony. No one else performed the way of the tea to such perfection. The timing and the grace of his every move; from the unfurling of the mat, to the setting out of the cups, and the sifting of the green leaves, was beauty itself. Through the tea master’s demonstration the samurai explained that the “way of the samurai” is the “way of tea.” “There you have it. No need to learn anything of the way of death. Your state of mind when you perform the tea ceremony is all that is required.” Tea leaves bathe in waters of self awareness with every cup that they infuse. The process of tea is patient. It’s accepting. It’s all love. Through accepting ourselves we gain an identity within the world. We understand our relationship to all things around us. It

is through this understanding of how we relate to all things that we gain our purpose, which is really our contribution back to society. Tea is a way of mind because it’s how I tap in. It’s how I elevate above all the noise. It’s where I can identify with my star player — Me. Through tea I come to understand my relationship to rainfall, why composting is important, why honey bees being endangered is a major issue, the effects of global warming and why moon cycles matter. It’s a relationship that I have only been able to cultivate through understanding the life cycle of a tea plant. I express this understanding during Classy Hippie’s tea ceremonies. As the tale of The Samurai and The Tea Master beautifully illustrates, the way of the samurai is the way of tea. All that we do is based on our state of mind and our state of mind is determined by our relationships. Our relationships are reflected in our community. Visit Classy Hippie Tea Company in Davis at the Good Scoop on Nov. 26th for Small Business Saturday or for our next Hippie High Tea event at Veg Café Dec. 4th to see what the Classy Hippie community is all about. Travel well, travel far. Leo Hickman Tea Sommelier

ALL TEAS AVAILABLE ONLINE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THESE LOCATIONS: classyhippieteaco.com

exileD off of J street

illuStration by Serene luSano

Sacramento, you wanna be a world-class city? Then you best be prepared for the likes of Kanye west. The rapper was slated to perform at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday night and he did, briefly, before erupting into an epic rant (See Sound Advice, page 31). Not surprisingly, the rant went viral immediately with major media outlets everywhere picking up the story. Snoop Dogg even posted a video depicting his reaction. West, who’d been scheduled to perform in Los Angeles the next night, abruptly canceled that show just hours before its start time and by Monday morning news broke that Yeezy had jettisoned his entire “Saint Pablo” tour. In the meantime, the rest of us were left to feel (at least if Twitter and Facebook timelines were any indication) that West ripping off Sacramento was most important thing to happen to this town ever. World class, indeed.

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11.23.16 | SN&R | 13

olidays aren’t the bucket of cheer that everyone makes them out to be. It can get pretty depressing—especially if you’re somebody like me, who’s already clinically depressed. After many years of grappling with existential terror in the midst of merriment, I’ve developed myriad strategies for keeping my sanity while attempting to maintain meaningful connections with my loved ones. I share these now in hopes of preserving your sanity as well.

Keep travel tension low It’s the seventh hour in a car that isn’t yours. The sky is as dark as your thoughts about this Christian country-rap album currently on its fourth playthrough. You’ve got about three minutes of juice remaining on your phone, your headphones somehow got abandoned about two states away and your best solution is starting to look a lot like rolling yourself out of the window. It’s really not that bad, of course. It’s just the fact that you’re enclosed in a tiny box full of sounds that you can’t control with people who insist on asking you nosy questions—you know, like, “What’s going on with you these days?” and “Are you OK back there? You haven’t spoken in three hours.” When you start to feel the creep of an unnameable dread, stare out the window and allow an inward acceptance of the void to drain that existential pus into the ceaseless river of American landscape that rushes alongside you. Or, if you’re not that far gone, a pillow and a sleeping pill can do the trick.

protect your perspective

by ANTHONY SIINO anthonys@newsreview.com

ILLUSTRATION BY SERENE LUSANO

Family, drama and so much booze

How to make it through the season alive

14 | SN&R | 11.23.16

Once you arrive, it’ll be wise to maintain civility. Yes, you may hate Thanksgiving for its simplistic whitewashing of our genocidal history. Yes, you may think Santa Claus is a tool for deadening the rational agency of children in the name of an unending capitalist con. But your family sees these holidays as a good excuse to make time for your stupid face, and perhaps rightfully so. When you get irritated because somebody decided to ask when your single ass is going to start having babies, let it pass over you like an ill yet faint breeze and return to luxuriating in the shade of your brother’s whiskey collection. If you’re not the drug-abusing sort, find a way to root yourself at a moment’s notice. Worry stones, breathing exercises and busy work will serve you well. Remind yourself of your authentic love and joy for those around you and appreciate it when you can.

establish your brooding hole You’re bound to be exhausted by now. The travel followed by an immediate burst of energy when everybody sees each other for the first time offer infinite opportunities for minor irritants to build up into a full-scale anxious meltdown. Inevitably, the tension— eustress or distress—will split your head wide open and you’ll start thinking about how good it would feel to take a carrot peeler to your forearm. This is where it’s time to admit to yourself that you’re only human. If your family is the understanding sort, then chat with your host about which nooks and crannies you can stow yourself in when you need a breather, preferably a space with a lock on the door. When you do disappear, it may be a fine idea to let at least one person know—nothing is worse than stealing yourself away only to hear the outside voices loudly wondering what abyss you wandered off to.

Set your boundarieS Depending on how tolerant your people are, sometimes you can get away with simply saying, “Excuse me for a moment while I contemplate death.” Not everybody’s cool with that. It may be worth your effort to set reasonable expectations with your loved ones as openly as possible, whether that’s as blatant as admitting that you’re having an anxiety attack or as subtle as suggesting that everybody should watch a movie so that you can have a few minutes of relative peace. Whatever your comfort level is, find a way to ease your folks onto the idea that you need a breather sometimes. And if they won’t give it to you, take it however you can. Gracefully divert conversations on troubling topics before they get heated—or before they wound you. Offer to help in the kitchen when the living room gets too rowdy. Tell somebody who’s too heavy on you to lighten the hell up, if you can get away with it. Know your limits and do what you can to have others respect them.

If you feel the need to leave, leave, and if you feel the need to stay, stay. buiLd good rapport with a confidant You likely have an established outlet in your family, somebody who lets you get away with being completely open about whatever Satanic thoughts are on your mind. It’s easy to lose that rock, though: sometimes that person didn’t make it to the gathering this time around; maybe that person took to the nog a bit too heartily. Don’t be afraid to sniff out the situation for sympathetic parties that can tolerate you at your worst, and do find an activity that you and your support can engage in that openly signals to everybody else that you’re having your own time together. Slipping out for a surreptitious smoke, volunteering for the next liquor run, hiding in another room to play a few meaningless rounds of Street Fighter— all of these are valid ways to take the pressure off while also enabling you to have quality time with at least one family member in moments when you can’t hack the whole herd.

Love yourSeLf Have the respect for yourself to know when you’re being pushed and when you’re pushing yourself too hard. Stay on your meds and carve out the space to sleep well. If you feel the need to leave, leave, and if you feel the need to stay, stay. Above all else, you know what you need to do. And don’t forget to eat everybody else’s food—if this shit’s gonna wrench you into a bubbling pot of neuroses, may as well squeeze all the value you can before you go back to your regular ramen routine.

ESCAPE to the tiki bar

A tropical cocktail just might get you through the holidays by JANELLE BITKER janelleb@newsreview.com

icture this: a pristine beach somewhere in the Pacific Ocean with slender palm trees blowing in the not-too-windy wind, and there’s an empty lounge chair reserved just for you. You lay down. Relax. There’s no turkey to baste or small child to shush. Just you. And the lapping waves. And the kind soul who hands you a cocktail, little umbrella perched on the edge. OK, you probably can’t find that exact situation a quick hop away from wherever your holiday gatherings are held, but you can find that cocktail. Tiki culture is in the throes of a revival. What began in 1933 via Don’s Beachcomber in Hollywood grew into a full-blown fad through the ’40s and ’50s. Trader Vic’s became a global phenomenon. With Polynesian decor, tiki provided the potent combination of exoticism, escapism and a stiff drink. Here in Sacramento, tiki drinks are trending once again. Ignore the chilly weather forecast and order that frozen, frothy piña colada anyway. Here are three of the best places to get that tiki fix right now.

Vacation in a bar

The Jungle Bird

Walking into the Jungle Bird feels like entering another time zone, where everyone is all smiles and the coconut shrimp actually tastes like coconut. It’s also the best place in town to get a classic, Trader Vic’s-era cocktail. The wares are festive, the garnishes attractive and the flavors are more booze-forward than you might expect. Try the painkiller ($10) for a more adult, boozy version of a piña colada, repping the timetested trifecta of coconut, pineapple and rum. 2516 J Street, www.facebook.com/junglebird916.

Frozen deliciousness

IL L U S

RE BY SE A T IO N

SA NE LU

Sail Inn Grotto & Bar While more nautical-themed than tiki, Sail Inn still stocks its menu with tropical favorites, including a zombie, piña colada and mai tai. And since it’s owned by the same guys behind Shady Lady Saloon, you know these drinks are legit and not just drenched in sugar. The early favorite, the lava flow ($11), layers frozen piña colada and strawberry daiquiri into a blissful, much-needed getaway. 1522 Jefferson Boulevard in West Sacramento, http://sailinngrotto.com.

A creative spin

Hawks Public House

Surprised? Bartenders craft creative, balanced, food-friendly cocktails at Hawks Public House on a regular basis, but through the end of November, there’s also a small tiki addendum to the menu. These are decidedly nontraditional takes on tiki, incorporating tropical flavors in inventive ways without opaquely relying on rum and fruit juice. Prime example: Green Walker from 76 ($14), which gets its color from matcha tea and its unusual hint of the islands from pineapple shrub and mulled pear rum. 1525 Alhambra Boulevard, www.hawkspublichouse.com.

11.23.16 | SN&R | 15

Trot to turkey ILLUSTRATION BY SERENE LUSANO

No Thanksgiving plans? These bars can be your family

by STEPH

RODRIGUEZ

hether it’s lack of time, money or patience for Uncle Joe’s off-kilter remarks, sometimes it’s tough to make it out of town to celebrate Thanksgiving. If you’re a student stuck in the dorms or just taking a big pass on this year’s family festivities, consider these alternatives when it comes to Turkey Day. Here are four trusty watering holes staying open with a hot meal waiting with all trimmings and none of the family drama.

Where everyone knows your name Elixir Bar & Grill Stop by Elixir Bar & Grill to quench your thirst and stuff your face. Brotherand-sister owners Curt and Christina Pow host Thanksgiving dinner each year for their customers. For Christina, it’s her way of saying thank you to her regulars who she sees as her extended family. “Honestly, it started because I had a bunch of leftovers from my family’s house, so I would make a couple of plates for whomever,” she says. “I ran out so fast and I remember thinking, ‘Well, next year, I’m going to make the full meal for the bar to offer to my regulars who did not get Thanksgiving.’” A turkey dinner with sides like sweet potato casserole, mac ’n’ cheese, cornbread stuffing and more will be served on a first come, first serve basis when the bar opens at 8 p.m. 1815 10th Street, (916) 442-0693.

16 | SN&R | 11.23.16

Student central Food and football The Zebra Club The Zebra Club is known as a hub for sports fans to watch an early morning soccer match or an afternoon football game. But, there’s one tradition that the bar’s owner, who asked to only be known as Jerry, kept alive through the decades: providing his customers with a hot meal during the Thanksgiving. “When I moved to Sacramento, I was by myself and we always did something for Thanksgiving for people who moved here or were on their own and were looking for a place to go, watch football and have fun,” he says. Since 1987, Jerry and the crew have provided mashed potatoes and gravy, a large turkey and stuffing. “Everybody loves it,” he says. “People come in happy, the football games are on. It’s just a nice, fun time.” 1900 P Street, (916) 442-3972.

Here’s the pie

Hoppy Brewing Co.

Whether you need a place to decompress after bouts with the family about politics or you’re simply without plans, invite yourself over to the Hideaway Bar & Grill. The Hideaway starts pouring drinks at 4 p.m. and owner Mariah York-Carr says it’s been that way for the past seven years. This year, the Hideaway will provide its customers with a traditional turkey dinner served with vegetarian stuffing and mashed potatoes, bread rolls and a couple of pies. “If you don’t have anywhere else to go, come and eat and be amongst friends,” York-Carr says. “Sometimes people spend the day with their blood family and they want to spend the evening with their friend family.”

For college students who can’t make it back home this year, Hoppy Brewing Co. has your back. Founder Troy Paski keeps his restaurant and brewery open in East Sacramento for students and regular customers alike. “The hardest times are during the holidays where other businesses are closed and people don’t cook at home anymore or don’t know how to cook, so they come to see us,” Paski says. In that spirit, Hoppy offers an “Orphan Thanksgiving Dinner” for students, who get a 25 percent discount when they show their student ID card. What’s more, for those who participated in Run to Feed the Hungry, bring in your bib and coupon for a free pint. And if cooking a whole bird just isn’t your style, the kitchen opens at 2 p.m. serving a Thanksgiving dinner special—the first 50 diners will take home a complimentary bottle of Hoppy Claus ale. 6300 Folsom Boulevard,

2565 Franklin Boulevard, (916) 455-1331.

(916) 451-4677.

Hideaway Bar & Grill

Poly want a turkey

by shAherA

hYAtt

A locAl comic imAgines the outcome of bringing multiple pArtners to thAnksgiving SCENE: Thanksgiving Day. JAYMA, after rehearsing with her therapist, decides it’s time to live out loud this holiday season and finally come out to her family as polyamorous. At the family home in Land Park, a group of five people in their late 20s arrive carrying a Tofurkey and quinoa salad. JAYMA: Hey fam! Let me introduce you to my sweetheart, my boofriend, my loverbear and my life partner. MOM: Honey, since when is your sister your life partner? JAYMA: It’s platonic, but we’re going to be together fiveever, right sis?

Deafening sound of silverware achieves its full potential. JAYMA: I’m just saying, I think that people who opt out of the gender binary are leading the way in dismantling the patriarchy. BROTHER: And in making people feel awkward. It’s not our fault we were raised in the California education system and don’t know what a pronoun is. DAD: Not me, I’m a pro at nouns. MOM: Well, when are you all going to have children? Would it kill you to make me a grandma before I die?

MOM: I thought you were bi, not poly.

LOVERBEAR: Maybe if I wasn’t so sure our planet is going to die first.

JAYMA: The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but now that you mention it, I’m only attracted to people who don’t participate in the gender binary, so I’m actually identifying as non-bi now.

MOM: Well, anyway, let’s focus on the meaning of the holiday. I was going to give a speech on what I’m thankful for, but I’m drawing a blank at this exact moment.

BOOFRIEND: You know, a lot of people say that Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, but it actually celebrates the white man’s religious zeal for colonization, so I think it’s up for debate. SWEETHEART: Personally, I’m thankful to have transcended our society’s antiquated relationship paradigm and be here with all of you today. BROTHER Googles “antiquated” and “paradigm” while the adorable foursome plays footsies under the dinner table, like a game of Twister. DAD struggles to carve the Tofurkey; MOM pours another glass of wine. SISTER stares off, despondent, remembering when her coming out as gay was the most interesting thing happening at the dinner table. She hoards the dinner rolls. SISTER: If we’re not full on thanks, let’s at least get full on carbs. Happy Thanksgiving? END

ILLUSTRATION BY SERNE LUSANO

11.23.16 | SN&R | 17

starting at

the

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink 7th & k street

$5 donation gets you an Official SNR Santa Hat & button, plus drink specials at these crawl locations:

El Rey On K • Malt & Mash Irish Pub Pizza Rock • tequila museo mayahuel go to www.snrsweetdeals.newsreview.com to reserve your spot 18 | SN&R | 11.23.16

Forget mistletoe, ring in the Hmong New Year Sacramento’s annual event mixes dating rituals with flag football and sticky rice by ENID

Miss Hmong California 2016 Lily Vang

PHoTo CoURTESY oF MISS HMoNG CALIFoRNIA PAGEANT

he winter holidays bring with them a strong connotation of family. It is a jolly celebration at times, a painful or smelly ordeal at others. But the one family matter that’s probably not on your list of concerns: finding a mate. (Okay, maybe for New Year’s Eve.) At the Hmong New Years celebration that takes over Cal Expo’s fairgrounds every November, finding a spouse is clutch. Along with feasting, sharing intricate crafts and celebrating the year’s hard work, traditional New Year’s for the Hmong people meant a time for courtship. After the last rice harvest of the year, the Hmong people scattered across Laos, China and Thailand would leave their isolated homes and come together for an extravaganza of sticky rice, singing and swapping handcrafted wares. Think Top Chef meets New York Fashion Week meets America’s Got Talent. For many Hmong, New Year’s was their only break from work and chance for pure socializing all year. It was also an excuse for both sexes to wear the intricate clothing they spent all year sewing, the cultural equivalent of splurging on Nike’s self-lacing sneakers to wear to Thanksgiving dinner. “It is a reason, like Halloween or prom, to wear the outfits you have collected,” says Sonny Khang, the marketing co-director for Sacramento’s Hmong New Year. For the unmarried partygoers, it was an opportunity to impress a forever mate. “If you’re a good sewer, and fast enough, you have an outfit to wear for the courtship,” Khang says. He declined to say what happens if you’re not. Traditional courtship started with a boy tossing a ball to a girl in what must have been the most-anticipated game of catch (pun intended) in any Hmong kid’s life. Assuming his strong arm and nimble fingers impressed the girl, she would toss it back and start a high-stakes game of catch where the loser had to serenade the winner, therefore breaking the ice and starting a dialogue between the future lovers. “It is a typical Romeo and Juliet story,” Khang says. Some things even time and distance cannot change. While Snapchat may have diminished the need for sewing skills in our datingsphere, even modern Hmong celebrations maintain the elaborate fashions, ball games and musicality of their ancestors. Of course, there are some

SPITZ notable exceptions, like the introduction of the Walkman in the ’90s for young people to play favorite hits rather than sing. Or the year a barbecue restaurant from Montana joined Sacramento’s festival, pushing the cultural envelope a bit. “The new generation of [Hmong] Americans speak their own language,” Khang says. “Once you can’t speak the traditional language, you lose a bit of that history. The whole purpose of the festival is to preserve it.” Sacramento, which is home to the secondhighest concentration of Hmong people in the United States, also boasts one of the nation’s largest celebrations. For the past 12 years, Hmong families, culturally curious guests, vendors, artisans and sports teams have deluged the fairgrounds with an extravaganza that’s equal parts farmers market and Miss America pageant. It combines the collective culture of our city’s 18 Hmong clans into four days of sporting events like flag football, singing competitions, food carts heavy with sticky rice and barbequed meats, and a pageant to crown the next Miss Hmong California. If escaping tired-out traditions or finding one-of-a-kind gifts are your goals, this is your place. Hmong New Year is open to the public and you could easily go just for the spicy papaya salad. But those considering a visit might benefit from insider advice from Khang: “Even if you love the food, it’s a little boring to sit and eat by yourself. Bring your family.” It comes back to that: family. Hmong New Year isn’t too different from the masscelebrated winter holidays after all the gifting conundrums, TSA lines, burnt Tofurkies and tense political discussions are stripped away. “My favorite part is watching the families come in,” Khang says. “You can smell the food in the air and hear the folk songs. It brings the older people back to the time when they were younger.” “At the end of the day, when everyone has to go home, the older people always want to stay and talk.” Sounds familiar. Ω

Hmong New Year takes place Thursday, November 24, through Sunday, November 27, at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Boulevard. Tickets are $4. More at www.sacramentohmongnewyear.com.

11.23.16 | SN&R | 19

Working under the influence

How will legal cannabis affect employer policies about drugs in the workplace? by Ken Magri

egalization of cannabis promises to dramatically change the landscape in California, as more people light up with less trepidation. But users should be careful about mixing cannabis and the workplace — it can still get you fired. “It’s not a license to use a recreational drug in the workplace,” says Sacramento attorney Lance Daniel, who has defended under-the-influence cases for 28 years. Daniel said that the courts view off-duty cannabis use no differently than “beers at lunch,” and either one could cause a termination. Having a medical prescription won’t help in a wrongful termination case. The best known is Michigan’s Casias vs. Wal-Mart from 2012. Plaintiff Joseph Casias had a prescription and never smoked on the job. But a worksite injury sent him to the hospital. Once there, Casias failed a drug test initiated by Wal-Mart’s work-injury policy and was fired. Casias had only used cannabis at home for pain four days before the test. But the courts ruled that his off-duty use still violated Wal-Mart’s policy, which he knew about in advance. That gave Wal-Mart the legal right to fire him. Arizona, Delaware and Minnesota have recently passed laws that protect medical cannabis users from termination because of a failed drug test. But without this specific protection written into law, courts have consistently upheld the right of employers to test for drugs, and to terminate an employee who fails. This includes the California State Supreme Court, which made such a ruling in the 2008 case of “Ross vs. RagingWire Telecommunications Inc.” The court argued that, because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, the employer could “take illegal drug use into consideration when making employment decisions.” made. At that point, savvy cannabis users sometimes quit temporarily, or take advantage of products like synthetic urine or detox cleansers that promise clean test results.

Because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, the employer can take “illegal” drug use into consideration.

An unintended consequence of Proposition 64 could be California employers’ increasing concern about workers being high on the job. As a result, existing employees may face an increase in workplace drug tests. There are exceptions, of course. Many employers in the computer industry, information technology, graphic design, writing, photography and culinary arts do not typically test for drugs. These are jobs requiring creative thinking, but where the employee is not considered a safety risk to others.

This right is also preserved in section 3 (r) of the newly passed Proposition 64, which allows “public and private employers to enact and enforce workplace policies pertaining to marijuana.”

Likewise, within the state’s burgeoning cannabis industry use of the herb isn’t just tolerated, it’s encouraged. Budtenders, for example, are expected to familiarize themselves with the products offered in their dispensaries. As the marijuana industry expands, perhaps there’s a test-free job in your future. Until then, be careful. COLLECTIVES CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY.

A job termination triggered by a failed drug test can follow you to your next prospective employer. As Daniel explains it, “Whoever is hiring next will want to know why” you were terminated. Although generally not allowed to give random tests, employers instead require a test when the job offer is first

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SN&R’s alt-Christmas playlist is full of unexpected spirit

No more ‘Jingle Bells’ by AARoN

CARNeS

ou can’t go anywhere in December without being attacked by Christmas music. I don’t mind it in theory, I just hate that I have to listen to the same 10 songs wherever I go. Every time I hear “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” I want to gouge my eyes out. Besides, the best Christmas music is the weird stuff. My two favorite holiday records are A John Waters Christmas and The American Song-Poem Christmas: Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four? Christmas at its strangest. In the spirit of giving folks a far superior playlist to enjoy, I offer these tunes for your next holiday party.

“Christmas at Ground Zero,” Weird Al Yankovic Considering that our nation just elected Mr. Human Garbage himself, Donald Trump, this might be the most appropriate Christmas song of the year. I vote that every store in every mall play this song at least 10 times a day, just to remind us about the horrors of life. This is also a great reminder that while Weird Al remains the all-time master of the parody song, he can still whip out the occasional original to put all other musical comedians to shame.

“Feliz Navidad,” El Vez If you don’t know, El Vez is the Mexican Elvis. Also, you should immediately get to know El Vez, like right now. He is better than the regular Elvis in every single way. Have you heard his rendition of “The Ghetto,” titled “En El Barrio”? I rest my case. “Feliz Navidad,” as a rule, is almost as annoying as “Jingle Bells,” except when El Vez breathes his beautiful heart into it.

“Christmas Rappin’,” Kurtis Blow In the ’80s, rappers would awesomely spit rhymes over beats for 10 minutes, usually making fairy tales dirty. Rappers in the ’80s also did the occasional Christmas song. So, let’s all take a moment and enjoy this brilliant holiday rap by one of rap’s first superstars, Kurtis Blow.

“Santa Fix My Toys for Christmas,” Rodd & Judy Song-poems are an American treasure trove of strangeness, a phenomenon mostly in the ’60s and ’70s where regular people sent lyrics and cash to a company, who would return a completed song with zero alterations to their lyrics and promise that it “might be a hit.” Needless to say, a lot of people thought they could write the next big Christmas jam. Here’s a sad little song about a kid with self-esteem so low, all he wants is for Santa to fix his janky, broken old toys.

“Little Mary Christmas,” Roger Christian This will make the last song sound like “Joy To The World.” This little gem unearthed by John Waters is the horrible story of a tragic little orphaned girl named Mary Christmas, born without the ability to walk and whose parents died when she was 1 year old. Yay! Christmas, everyone! Be sure to play this one for your parents over Christmas dinner. Everyone will instantly weep.

“Merry Crassmas,” Crass Crass is the Beatles of anarchist punk. The band would most certainly hate that I just said that, but it’s true. This little ditty is a goofy, Muzak version of what I imagine anarchist brains think Christmas music might sound like. If you play this song for your Republican parents, they’ll even like it, that is unless of course they hear the very end where Crass members sing, “Hope you choke on the turkey you’re munching on.”

11.23.16 | SN&R | 21

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o you survived Thanksgiving and successfully suppressed all urges to put Visine in batty Uncle Steve’s drinking glass. (Right?) Good for you. The verdict is still out on whether President-elect Baby Fists is going to burn this whole thing to the ground, so we won’t congratulate everyone on surviving the election just yet. But in the meantime, I’m going to go ahead and assume that everyone really needs to take a minute to mothereffing cut LOOSE before holiday shopping and/or transitioning into a doomsday prepper. Without further ado, a few options for those looking for a temporary escape: Widely acclaimed San Francisco-based author and activist Michelle tea is rolling through town on Saturday, November 26, at the Sacramento Public Library Central Branch (828 I Street) to discuss her latest book, Black wave, about a troubled narrator who has come face to face with the literal apocalypse. (Apropos, no?) The reading and Q&A will run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and attendance is free. Visit www.saclibrary.org for more info. On Thursday, December 1, channel your inner and outer Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck for

Sleazy Seventies Movember Mustache Bash at Bottle & Barlow (1120 R Street) starting at 6 p.m. It’s a benefit to raise awareness for men’s health issues and therefore a great excuse to get as debauched as possible. There will be a photo booth, specialty cocktails, a mustache competition and more. Check out https://bottleandbarlow.com/bar/events to find out more. Also on Thursday and pertaining to mustaches: John Waters, the legendarily weird and witty filmmaker, will be performing his one-man show A John waters Christmas at the Crest Theatre (1013 K Street). Expect raunch and much laughter from the Pope of Trash. Tickets range from $36-$115 and can be purchased at www.crestsacramento.com. Finally: On Friday, December 2, go blow a bunch of money on art at the December Opening Art Reception at WAL Public Market. One hundred pieces will be available for $100 or less, and they’ll look pretty cool hanging on your wall if we all make it through this. Visit www.facebook .com/events/1532627580084459 to find out more.

—deeNa drewiS

IllustratIon by Margaret larkIn

holiday Fair

Ngaio Bealum

Friday, November 25, aNd Saturday, November 26 Start the holiday season off right by shopping locally. Get the perfect gift and celebrate California’s roots with handcrafted artwork, jewelry and ornaments. Crafters from across the state will be gathering Culture to show off their musical instruments, dolls, textiles, pottery and more. Free; 10 a.m. at the California State Indian Museum, 2618 K Street; (916) 324-0971; www.parks .ca.gov/?page_id=486.

—Lory GiL

Crocker holiday Artisan Market

Friday, November 25 SN&R weed columnist Ngaio Bealum does more than just educate readers about the benefits (and legalities of) medical marijuana; he’s also a wellregarded comedian. Indulge in some laughs with this set at The Comedy Spot. Given the current political climate (Trump, California’s legalization of recreational marijuana, CoMeDY Trump), he’s likely to provide a wealth of keen observations . $10; 8 p.m. at The Comedy Spot, 1050 20th Street; www.saccomedy spot.com.

—racheL Leibrock

Friday, November 25, throuGh SuNday, November 27 Keep it sucker-free this season by shopping small at this big gathering of crafters working in ShoPPING glass, textiles, ceramics, paper, photography and more. $4-$6; noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H Street; www. creativeartsleague.com/crocker -holiday-artisan-market-2016.

—deeNa drewiS

Crest Anime Festival

tamales for the holidays

Saturday, November 26, aNd SuNday, November 27 There’s a never-ending stream of Japanese anime online. But it’s not often you get to put on your big boy pants and watch them on the big screen. The Crest Anime Festival features five films sure to please anime buffs and newbies alike. $8-$40; 1 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday at the FIlM Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 476-3356; www.crestsacramento.com.

thurSday, december 1 Tamales are delicious year-round, and many Latin cultures take love for their tastiness even further during the holidays with tamale-making parties. Join this one and learn about different styles and how to FooD make a masa your whole family will love. $45-$55; 6 p.m. at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 2820 R Street; www.brownpaper tickets.com/event/2592328.

—eddie JorGeNSeN

—aaroN carNeS

11.23.16

SN&R

IllustratIons by sn&r staFF

Feast of beef bo 7 Mon, anh hong Family-run operation Anh Hong has a few locations in California, all specializing in Bo 7 Mon, which translates to seven courses of beef. Sounds magical, doesn’t it? The Vietnamese feast starts off with soothing rice porridge, salad flecked with beef bits and a carpaccio packed with zing. The finale throws four types of beef at you at once for wrap-it-yourself spring rolls: beef sausage, meatballs, thin beef rolled around lemongrass and beef wrapped in piper lolot leaf, served alongside a bounty of fresh mint, bean sprouts and pickled vegetables. The quality isn’t as high as some other spots, but it’s hard to argue with seven courses for $15.95. 4800 Florin Road, www.anhhong.com.

—Janelle bitker

Calm yourself bowl of Soul, naked Coffee

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Sushi shuffle by Janelle Bitker

More Japanese in Midtown: After nearly a year, a restaurant has finally opened in the former Tamaya Sushi Bar & Grill space: Sakamoto (2131 J Street). Tamaya lost its lease last December after 10 years of operation—a somewhat confusing transfer of power, according to The Sacramento Bee. That same report suggested the replacement would be a fusion concept, but Sakamoto is actually more of a straightforward Japanese restaurant. The menu features some fun, interesting appetizers, as well as the usual assortment of entrees, donburi, tempura and bento boxes. There’s also a selection of udon, soba and ramen. As with Tamaya, though, the main attraction is the sushi bar. Sakamoto’s doesn’t shine from neon lights, though: the aesthetic is less

SN&R

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

nightclub and more contemporary simplicity. Yellow dominates, greatly brightening up what was once a very dark dining room— besides those neon lights, anyway. The sushi roll selection accounts for two whole pages on the menu, divided up into regular, cooked, spicy and vegetarian. The spicy section, in particular, is quite strong, with 18 options. Most rolls and dishes cost $10-$15. Expansion dreams: Finnegan’s Public

House (3751 Stockton Boulevard) is too popular for its own good—err, space. The tiny, seven-table, breakfast-and-lunch spot can rarely accommodate all the folks lined up to feast on eggs and pancakes. Now, the owners want to move down the street to the vacant

11.23.16

Mighty Kong Cafe spot, which can seat more than 60 people and also features a new, bigger kitchen. They’re asking for $375,000 in help via www.gofundme.com.

With an emotional hangover from the election and my annual pre-holiday head cold on board, I’m in dire need of some soothing. A big Bowl of Soul ($5.50) from Naked Coffee helps a lot. It’s got calming chamomile tea steeped in frothy warm soy milk, a sweet dash of honey and a tiny bit of indulgent chocolate on top. It calms my senses and soothes my sinuses. I think comfort food and I are going to be good friends for a while. 1500 Q Street, http://nakedcoffee.net.

Liquid chocolate, please: With the

cooler weather settling in, it seems like the appropriate time to remind you that Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates (1801 L Street) recently debuted a new hot chocolate menu, doubling its offerings. In addition to its original three options, Ginger added a singleorigin hot chocolate ($6), vegan hot chocolate made with almond milk ($4.50) and mocha ($6) made with espresso from Old Soul Co. Food writing: If you’re an avid reader of local food news, you might have noticed the disappearance of Edible Sacramento. Well, it’s coming back. Amanda Burden and Jaci Goodman, who also run Edible Reno-Tahoe, bought the company from former publisher Kirk Stauffer, and they’ve brought back Andrea Thompson as editor. According to Thompson, readers shouldn’t notice any major editorial changes, but pages will likely see more advertisements. Ω

—ann Martin rolke

Tricolor wonder Cauliflower Cauliflower is somewhat underrated. It’s available nearly year-round, and sort of dull looking in its off-whiteness. Recently, though, cauliflower began seeing a resurgence in popularity, with the introduction of yellow (a.k.a. “Cheddar”), purple and green varieties. The purple, especially, has the benefit of the antioxidant resveratrol, which is also in red wine and cabbage. Don’t just steam cauliflower, or it gets bland; grind or mince it up and use it in place of rice or even meat. Try sauteing ground cauliflower and chopped almonds with oil and plenty of Mexican spices for an amazing vegan taco filling.

—ann Martin rolke

Drinking over shopping Instead of fighting someone at Wal-Mart on Black Friday, you and the world would probably be happier relaxing with some beer instead. On Friday, November 25, New Helvetia Brewing Co. (1730 Broadway) will throw a block party starting at noon both in defiance of shoppers and in celebration of its fourth year in business. There will be live music, food trucks, ping-pong, skee ball and, most importantly, new beer releases. That includes the latest in the Mystery Airship series, which is a collaboration with Temple Coffee Roasters. If dark, malty brews aren’t your jam, Auburn’s Moonraker Brewing Co.—the local bastion of the juicy Northeast IPA style—will preview its upcoming first anniversary brew, Mosaic Crush, on the same day at Old Town Pizza (120 Church Street in Roseville), starting at 5 p.m. The beer is a hazy, single-hop pale ale, though Moonraker’s other, juicier stuff will also be on tap.

Party king by Ann MARtin RolkE

El Rey

HH 723 K Street, (916) 400-4170 www.elreyonk.com Dinner for one: $15-$20 Good for: cocktails with televisions Notable dishes: smoked carnitas nachos, pozole, tortilla chips

—Janelle bitker

PLANTS

PLANTS PLANTS

PLANTS

El Rey is a bar, first and foremost.

Pop-up plant-based dinners by Shoka The holiday season is in full effect, but vegans can feel left out of celebrations—or just hungry—since most traditional foods associated with the holidays contain animalderived ingredients. But Plant Punk Kitchen pop-up dinners are all plants, all the time. PPK chef Stephen Janke will cook up five-course meals on Friday, December 2; Friday, December 9; and Friday, December 16—all begin at 6:30 p.m., and the location of each—somewhere in Davis—will be disclosed after diners purchase

El Rey, one of the first places to open near the new Golden 1 Center, seems to be aiming for a clientele for whom conversation and food are secondary to drinks and atmosphere. The large, open space in the historic Ochsner Building couldn’t be better situated to attract crowds before and after arena events. Co-owner Kenny Thomas, a former Kings player, partnered with Trevor Shults and Bob Simpson, both veterans of the local bar scene, to anchor the still-evolving 700 block of K Street. Next door, Shults also opened Malt & Mash, a 21-and-over bar with limited food. For now, El Rey stands as the closest potential dinner spot outside of arena vendors. Dark wood juxtaposed with turquoise accents give the impressive space a very polished, highend look. Most of the seating amounts to bar tables and high banquettes, with every spot in view of one of the 13 televisions. Two large bars make drink service quick—even during busy periods. Unfortunately, the food service can sometimes lag. On our first visit, during an early Monday lunch, the servers got so backed up that tables started taking their food to-go as soon as it arrived. It’s notable that chef Bryce Palmer contracted with local tortilla maker La Esperanza. The fresh flour tortillas become outstanding thick and crunchy chips, while the restaurant gets customsized corn tortillas for its tacos. Order chips with a choice of three salsas ($7) for an easy bar snack or starter.

The menu focuses on tacos, with 10 choices of fillings. Each arrives loaded with numerous toppings. Our favorite was the rojo mole beef ($4.50), with tender brown sugar–braised meat under red cabbage, cotija cheese and cilantro crème. The garnishes tame the strong mole while adding welcome texture. The others we tried just fell flat. Pork chile verde ($4) turned out bland and soft. The Meatless Marvel—no price break at $4—jumbled together underseasoned beans and sweet potato with roasted peppers. Duck carnitas ($4.75) also underwhelmed. While they all come with excellent pickled vegetables, most of the tacos could use some spicing up. Go on a Tuesday, when you can get some for $2 and splurge on salsa on the side. The real standout turned out to be the smoked carnitas nachos ($12). A mountain of sturdy chips arrives on a baking sheet piled with meltingly tender meat, black beans and four kinds of cheese. Pickled pineapple salsa and red onions cut through the richness, making these easy to inhale. Another solid dish is the pork belly pozole ($13). Thicker than you find at most taquerias, it’s essentially a stew of spicy, tangled shreds of pork. Stir in the garnishes of fresh hominy, sliced radish, cilantro and onion for a hearty, sinus-clearing reward. With only a few destinationworthy menu items, El Rey is a bar, first and foremost. With that in mind, definitely order margaritas. The house version ($7) delivers a good deal with El Jimador Blanco tequila nicely complemented with lime juice and Cointreau. It isn’t too sweet and the tequila stands out. We also liked the tart Border Town ($9), with bourbon, Campari, agave and grapefruit juice. The beer list is expansive, including at least four locals on tap and more than 20 others in cans or bottles. If you’re looking for a party atmosphere near the arena, El Rey is your place. It’s big and loud and has some good bar food—but you won’t get away without spending quite a bit. Let’s hope there’s still opportunity for smaller, quieter concepts near the arena as well. Ω

tickets ($50). The menu is also kept a mystery, but appetites may be whetted by checking out the food porn on Janke’s Instagram or www.plantpunkkitchen.com, where there are recipes for those who want to DIY and bring vegan versions of holiday classics to their family’s table, such as mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts—and maybe something new, like artichoke cakes with roasted tomatoes, candied garbanzo beans and saffron cashew cream.

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26 | SN&R | 11.23.16

ReviewS

Now playiNg

Cats

Spy games By Jim Carnes

Runaway Stage closes out its tenure at 24th Street Theatre with an imaginative and altogether entertaining version of this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. Still plagued by the theater’s uncooperative sound system, the show manages to put forth some very good voices, including Carolyn Watling as Grizzabella (“Memory”), Roger McDonald as Gus (among others) and Brian McCann as Old Deuteronomy. Bob Baxter directs with choreography by Darryl Strohl-De Herrera. F, Sa 8pm, Su 2pm. Through 11/27. $22-$28; Runaway Stage at 24th Street Theatre, 2791 24th Street; (916) 207-1226; www .runawaystage.com. J.C.

A Christmas Carol

With a cast of 40, and a huge set that encompasses the entire community center theater, the Winters Theatre Com-

“not it!”

The 39 Steps

8 p.m. thursday, friday and saturday; $18-$20. Big idea theatre, 1616 del Paso Boulevard. (916) 960-3036; www.bigideatheatre.org. through december 17.

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 drama The 39 Steps about a sinister spy agency and the lengths it goes to protecting its secret is way better than the Monty Pythonlike comedy adapted from it by Patrick Barlow. That doesn’t mean this Big Idea Theatre company production isn’t enjoyable—not at all—but the fun is more in the execution than in the story. A Canadian man in London goes out to the theater one night when he approached by a mysterious woman, a counterespionage agent, who is trying to prevent the theft of top secret information by the mysterious “39 Steps.” She’s soon stabbed in the back, and he’s accused of her murder and must go on the run from authorities all the while trying to discover the secret for which she died. The plot mixes romance, intrigue and espionage in a way that is less believable than when it was in Hitchcock’s hands. A wildly talented cast of four portrays more than 100 characters as director Jouni Kirjola rushes them through a fast-paced melodrama. Ian Hopps plays Richard Hannay, the man in question; Stephanie Hodson is the dead woman, among others; and Scott Divine and Zachary Scovel play everyone else, male and female. There are times when an actor portrays more than one character at the same time. Quick changes of costumes and accents tests the actors’ considerable talents in this marvel of timing and execution.

pany’s production of this holiday classic makes for a multimedia extravaganza. The rendition of the classic boasts many very good performances. F, Sa 8pm. Su 2pm. Through 12/4. $8-$12; Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Avenue in Winters; (530) 795-4014; www .winterstheatre.org. B.S.

A Christmas Carol

Greg Alexander plays a sly Scrooge in Buck Busfield’s comic adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale. Challenging his ghosts and tempting his fate, this Scrooge finds redemption in a most unorthodox way. Director Dave Pierini puts a marvelous ensemble (John Lamb, Amy Kelly, Kurt Johnson and Tara Sissom) through fast-paced action and plenty of costume changes. Th, F 8pm, Sa 5 pm

I Ought to be in Pictures

In one of Neil Simon’s lesser-known comedies, daughter Libby arrives unexpectedly looking for the father who left her family 16 years before. Father Herb is a writer and Libby wants him to use his nonexistent connections to get her into the movies. Excellent acting, particularly by Kate Brugger as Libby, makes this a superb production. Th 6:30pm, F

8pm, Sa 2pm and 8pm, Su 2pm, W 6:30pm. Through 12/11. $15-

$38; Sacramento Theatre Company, 1419 H Street. (916) 443-6722; www.sactheatre .org. B.S.

short reviews by Jim carnes and Bev sykes.

and 9pm, Su 2pm, T 6:30pm, W 2pm. Through 12/31. $26-$38;

B Street Theatre, 2711 B Street; (916) 443-5300; www .bstreettheatre.org. J.C.

Photo courtesy of Big idea theatre

4 Robin Hood

Stories about Robin Hood have been around since the 14th century, but until the end of the 18th century they were available only through spoken storytelling, ballads, games and plays. It’s not really possible to pinpoint them to one particular writer of the tales or when exactly they came into existence. It was Joseph Ritson, however, who finally gathered five centuries of stories and published them, putting them in some semblance sequential order. Robin Hood was adapted by playwright Greg Banks from the 1956 book, The Adventures of Robin Hood, by British author Roger Lancelyn Green. Staged as part of B Street’s Family Series, the play covers five of Green’s stories, woven together into a one-act story. It’s performed here by five talented actors, each of whom plays more than one role, except Darek Riley, who makes for a handsome Robin Hood throughout. The show is captivating for children, and fun for adults, too, There’s lots of action, with men swinging from trees, big bows and arrows, great sword fights and some interaction with the children from the audience, each who beamed when chosen to shoot one of the invisible arrows from a bow. The set by Samantha Reno is magical, bringing the entire audience into Sherwood Forest with the hundreds of Mylar leaves hanging overhead throughout the entire theater. —Bev SykeS

robin hood, 1 p.m. friday, saturday and sunday. $18-$23. B street theatre, 2711 B street. (916) 443-5300; www.bstreettheatre.org. through december 24.

fouL

fair

good

WeLL-doNe

5 suBLiMe– doN’t Miss

Drive, he said. Photo courtesy of city theatre

Animal instincts City Theatre offers a new musical version of the classic children’s novel from 1908, The Wind in the Willows, a pastoral British tale with eccentric animal characters including Mr. Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger, adapted and directed by Luther Hanson, who also composed show’s the original music. The show, which runs through December 11, should make for a lovely post-Thanksgiving family outing. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; $10-$18; Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center, 3835 Freeport Boulevard; (916) 558-2174; www.citytheatre.net.

—Jeff HudSon

11.23.16 | SN&R | 27

D E C E M B E R 2 – 18

2 016 S E A S O N

Imagine a town where Christmas GIFTS are prohibited.

But Don’t Sing The G Word BY James

4 469 D Stre et

Between memory and truth

Wheatley

Celebration Arts Theatre

45th & D Stre ets

East Sacramento 95819

916/455-2787

Blackberry &

Brie

nocturnal animals “is it believable that someone would ever leave Jake Gyllenhall?”

3751 Stockton Blvd Sacramento, CA 916.822.4713 • 8am–2pm 7 days a week

1/2 off Entree Buy one entree get the 2nd of equal or lesser value 1/2 off. Must present ad for discount. Expires Dec. 31st 2016.

BUY 1 GET 1 1/2 OFF Buy any dinner entree at regular price, get the second for HALF OFF! Must present coupon, cannot combine with other discounts. One per table. Valid Mon-Thu only. Expires 11/30/16.

Voted “Best of Sacramento” 3 years in a row!

Happy Hour

Vote Us #1

Monday–Friday 3–6pm 1315 21st St • Sacramento 916.441.7100

by Daniel Barnes

family man whose wife and daughter get abducted by drooling West Texas predators. The novel, named Nocturnal Animals after Edward’s old nickname for the night owl Susan, captivates and Tom Ford made his name as a fashion designer and upsets her, and the creeping analogues between creative director for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, the story and her life expose possible gaps in her so when he released his 2009 directorial debut A Single Man, it was hard to tell if Ford was a cinematic memory and fissures in her sanity. Dwelling further on the plot would potentially devotee or a dilettante. It didn’t help that the film deprive people of discovering the film’s puzzle was eminently tasteful and immaculately appointed, box details on their own, but it’s acceptable to as much designed as directed, the sort of bloodless say that Nocturnal Animals deals with the tension actors’ showcase created to court awards voters. The between storytelling and self-image, between an film’s deliberately old-fashioned, perfectly coiffed idealized vision and the so-called real world, and and creased exquisiteness felt strangely grubby. between perceptions of weakness and strength. Seven years later, Ford delivers his followCinematographer Seamus McGarvey up film Nocturnal Animals, directing, abets Ford’s alternately gloomy and co-producing and adapting Austin gutsy vision by creating a ghostly Wright’s 1993 novel Tony and Susan Los Angeles and an unnervingly for the screen, and it finally feels tactile West Texas. like he means business. The storyGyllenhaal also plays the The film strikes telling is both more refined and husband in the story-withinmore brutishly personal, and the a balance between a-story, while in an inspired film strikes a balance between inscrutability and bit of casting, Adams avatar inscrutability and accessibility, Isla Fisher plays the wife. accessibility. between David Lynch-ian art The entire cast is fantastic, horror and Deliverance or Death assisted by a singular supporting Wish-like exploitation. A Single turn from Michael Shannon and Man was the work of a talented toura scene-stealing walk-on by Laura ist; this is the work of a true filmmaker. Linney, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Adams stars as Susan Morrow, an tooth-sucking psychopath the only sour note. avant-garde art gallery owner whose life has become a series of false surfaces. The cold, gray mansion with Adams is towering and yet understated in a way that few actresses could pull off. Meanwhile, the Jeff Koons piece in the yard sits on a mountain Gyllenhaal has been so reliably great of late that of debt, the “perfect” second marriage to a handsome he’s often taken for granted, but the subtle shadphilanderer (Armie Hammer) is a sham held together ings of his dual performance make most of his with smiles and denials, and Susan’s forbidding Ω beauty hides a psychic hornet’s nest of dissatisfaction, peers look like amateurs. shame and regret regarding her first marriage to a sensitive writer named Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal). As her husband steals away for the weekend with a younger woman, Susan pores over Edward’s latest novel, a disturbing revenge story about a milquetoast Poor Fair Good Very excellent

1 2 3 4 5

6023 FLORIN RD, SAC, CA • (916) 823-5525 • OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-10PM 28 | SN&R | 11.23.16

Good

fiLm CLiPS

Aquarius

The magnetic and sensual Sonia Braga stars as a retired music critic, breast cancer survivor and longtime widow in Aquarius, the latest film from Neighboring Sounds director Kleber Mendonça Filho. Braga’s fiercely independent Clara lives alone in a Brazilian apartment building slated for renovation, the lone tenant stubbornly holding out after her neighbors surrendered to gentrification years ago. There’s very little in the way of traditional narrative beats here, as Filho is more interested in getting lost in the album grooves of Clara’s life than getting tied up in artificial story threads. Filho and Braga create a fully rounded portrait of a strong, proud, complex woman trying to live life on her terms. Braga steals the show, but the filmmaking is quietly brilliant—a sequence where Clara recalls a previous encounter with a male prostitute as something both erotic and potentially dangerous teaches a master class in compact visual storytelling. D.B.

Bleed for This

Writer-director Ben Younger gives us the story of champion boxer Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), who suffered a broken neck in a near-fatal auto accident in 1991 at the height of his career; warned he might never walk and would certainly never fight again, Pazienza returned to the ring 13 months later in an amazing comeback. Younger has a dramatic story (hewing reasonably close to the facts) and a first-rate cast—besides Teller, there are Aaron Eckhart as Pazienza’s trainer, Ted Levine as his manager and Ciarán Hinds and Katey Sagal as his parents—and Younger imbues the picture with a palpable air of grubby, sweaty working-class realism. The movie never really overcomes the basic familiarity of its formula—Triumph Over Adversity (Sports Division)—but within those limits, it’s extremely well-done. J.L.

BY DANIEL BARNES & JIM LANE

Doctor Strange

AT YOUR FAVORITE

RESTAURANTS! “Now is not the time for the mannequin challenge.”

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Director Ang Lee has always enjoyed hopping across genres and taking weird left turns, but Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is as confusing a career pivot as 2009’s Taking Woodstock, and nearly as minor a film. Firsttimer Joe Alwyn stars as Billy Lynn, a fresh-faced Iraq War veteran whose caught-on-camera act of heroism becomes a nationwide sensation, even as he struggles with the first stages of PTSD. While an agent (Chris Tucker) tries to sell their movie rights to Hollywood, Billy and his fellow soldiers (including Garrett Hedlund, giving the best performance) are dubiously “honored” by a Dallas Cowboys-like team run by a Jerry Jones-like tyrant (Steve Martin) during the 2004 Thanksgiving Day game. It’s all as well-mounted and temperate as you would expect from Lee, but I can’t fathom why he thought this material was worth his time, as all the fuss adds up to war bad, soldiers good. D.B.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

A brilliant, egotistical surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) seeks healing for his hands, ruined in an auto accident; he finds himself plunged into a realm of magic, martial arts and the struggle to protect the world from the forces of darkness. The Marvel Comics superhero gets a handsome showcase, written by Jon Spaihts, C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derricksen (from the Stan Lee-Steve Ditko original). Much of it takes place in the “Mirror Dimension,” an eye-popping universe that M.C. Escher might have imagined if he’d worked with CGI. That, plus a strong story and stronger cast (Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen) makes this a winner. Let’s see if they can keep it up; these Marvel origin stories usually work best, before the sequels settle into flashy but humdrum action. J.L.

In 1926 New York, young wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives with a suitcase full of the magical creatures he will later catalog in one of Harry Potter’s textbooks—but first he has to round up the ones that have escaped, creating havoc and straining relations between the wizard and nonwizard communities. J.K. Rowling, already rich beyond the dreams of avarice, tries her hand at screenwriting, but alas, she’s not very good at it: Her story is absurdly convoluted, and worse, direction is by the mediocre David Yates, who encourages his actors to mutter their lines in barely audible whispers (Redmayne is the worst offender; we don’t catch half the creature names he mumbles). This is reportedly the first of five movies. Well, Rowling’s audience is hard to alienate, but we’ll just see about that. J.L.

The Edge of Seventeen

At this point, it’s almost an unfair advantage for flimsy indie films to stuff Woody Harrelson into a supporting role, kind of the Sundance-Toronto International Film Festival analogue of juicing. In first-time director Kelly Fremon Craig’s generally likeable but thoroughly unremarkable The Edge of Seventeen, Harrelson plays the prickly teacher and anti-mentor to Hailee Steinfeld’s harried high school student Nadine, a social maladroit whose world falls apart when her only friend starts dating her brother. Harrelson steals every single one of his scenes, sometimes by doing little more than furrowing his brow or leaning forward in his chair. It doesn’t amount to much, but it sure is great theater. Beyond that, the film offers an assured lead performance from Steinfeld, some humorous insights into adolescent angst and a curious lack of narrative urgency. The Edge of Seventeen is generally devoid of the trappings of ticking clocks and artificial ultimatums, but it’s also barely a movie. D.B.

Inferno

Symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) wakes up in a Florence hospital with a head wound and amnesia—and plagued by terrifying visions of cataclysmic death and destruction. It’s all par for the course for Langdon, of course, forever grappling with some insanely complicated puzzle in Dan Brown’s series of novels. This one involves an environmentalist-wacko billionaire (Ben Foster) who commits suicide after setting in motion a plot to exterminate half of humanity, and the usual globe-trotting race against time. Brown’s shallow bag of tricks is getting more outlandish even as his plot twists grow less and less surprising, but writer David Koepp, director Ron Howard and the European locations keep us amused. As Langdon’s ER doctor, Felicity Jones makes an appealing sidekick; too bad she won’t be back. J.L.

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Moonlight

Writer-director Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight follows a bullied, painfully shy, gay African-American male named Chiron from tortured boyhood through tortured adolescence and on to tortured young adulthood. The story is divided into three chapters, and each one is titled with one of the protagonist’s various identities—the belittled “Little” as a child, the tentatively self-realizing Chiron as a teenager, and the self-denying criminal “Black” as an adult—to symbolize the various personae he tries on for size throughout his life. The film is short on subtle symbolism but overflowing with empathy and beauty and grace. It’s hard to single out a performance for praise in the film’s terrific ensemble cast, but Mahershala Ali casts an enormous shadow over the film, even though he only appears in the first third. It’s only Jenkins’ second feature, but Moonlight feels more like a hard-earned career-capper rather than the career-igniter that it should become. D.B.

BLACKBIRD KITCHEN 15 00 & BEER GALLERY

Train to Busan

The South Korean zombie apocalypse action drama Train of Busan poses an interesting question: What if World War Z was a good film? Animation director Sang-ho Yeon makes his live-action feature debut with this hybrid of 28 Days Later, Snowpiercer and Dawn of the Dead, although the film’s imagination and intensity are indebted to the anything-goes aesthetic of cartoons and comic books. As a “douche” fund manager grudgingly accompanies his neglected daughter on a train ride to visit his ex-wife, a chemical leak causes an outbreak of rampaging, flesh-eating, undead monsters, forcing the survivors to band together as the world rushing around them hurtles toward its bloody end. There’s nothing original in the content, and the band of survivors contains every zombie-apocalypse movie archetype imaginable (the pregnant couple, the saucer-eyed child, the bureaucrat coward, etc.), but it’s such a fun, fast, tightly crafted genre film that you could care less. D.B.

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11.23.16 | SN&R | 29

Pretty ugly How booze and anxiety fueled Eugene Ugly’s dark debut

YOU SHOULD BE

GETTING IT ONCE A WEEK.

by AAron CArnes

Photo BY LUKE FItZ

gut-wrenching emotionality and self-conscious anxiety. The content is much more complex. It’s a concept record about a family in crisis in a somewhat surreal town called Boca. The perspective changes from different townsfolk and family members, but the primary focus is on two brothers as they try to define adulthood for themselves. The concept isn’t easy to immediately understand, but Betts is full of enthusiasm as he explains every aspect of it in full detail, pausing for caveats and Do you feel anxious yet? self-deprecating asides along the way. In contrast, Seruset is calm and even-keeled, piping in only on occasion. Band members fight. It’s what they do. While these songs were being written, Betts But earlier this year, Eugene Ugly’s Cameron wasn’t aware of their personal significance. He was Betts and George Seruset didn’t speak for three just vomiting all his bile out into the music. After he weeks—a pretty challenging obstacle considering had some time to analyze the lyrics, he realized how they’re the entire band. much of it was about him. A song about alien invaIt wasn’t typical band drama that halted commusion is actually about his own feelings of alienation. nication; rather, Betts’ behavior towards Seruset’s A song about God is really about how he feels that wife. Betts says he was drinking too much and would we’re all alone in the universe. And so on. relentlessly tease her in a way that would obviously The next album, Blachany, won’t be set in Boca. make her uncomfortable. Betts calls it the band’s “sad record.” In fact, it’s “I’m grossed out that I was doing this, a more straightforward expression of all just stupid shit all the time,” Betts says, the darkness Betts had gone through embarrassed. “That is one example earlier this year when he was drinkwith one person. You can honestly ing too much. “I was just apply that same level to everyone.” “I consistently let my friends trying to purge For three years, Betts abused down, would lash out in anger myself of all these alcohol to avoid his recurring toward anyone who said I anxiety. The problem, Betts admits, should do otherwise,” Betts ugly thoughts.” is that when he drank he also got says. “I slept with all my female Cameron Betts flaky with his responsibilities and friends. I started useless feuds. I guitarist, Eugene Ugly emotionally abusive toward friends wish it was a better story.” and loved ones. Despite the mess, Betts seems The drinking has stopped, and Betts optimistic about life. He says that is doing much better. But before he came to he’s been dealing with more depression terms with the chaos, he and Seruset started writing and anxiety than when he was drinking, but Eugene Ugly’s debut record, The Boca Vampires, he’s happy to actually be dealing with his problems which gets released on Saturday, November 26, at instead of flooding them with booze. Starlite Lounge. It’s filled with Betts’ manic, anxious “Anxiety has informed my moral code for so energy, as well as the darkness permeating his life at long, it’s terrifying to think I lived without it,” he the height of his personal insanity. says. “I’d rather be crazy than cruel.” Ω “It’s a super-ugly record,” he says. “I was just trying to purge myself of all these ugly thoughts.” Even the sound of the music is unsettling: angular, Check out Eugene Ugly at 8 p.m. Saturday, November jangly, guitar-driven anti-pop with lively, rock ’n’ 26, at Starlite Lounge, 1517 21st Street. tickets are $5. roll drums, which serve as the anchor. Betts twists Learn more at www.facebook.com/eugeneugly. and turns through the vocals, bouncing between

SACRAMENTO’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. ON STANDS EVERY THURSDAY.

IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS AND WOULD LIKE TO CARRY THE PAPER FOR FREE, CALL GREG AT 916.498.1234, EXT. 1317 OR EMAIL GREGE@NEWSREVIEW.COM 30 | SN&R | 11.23.16

N E W S R E V I E W.C O M

SouNd advice

On hate and Kanye Kanye, Trumped: Kid Cudi and Kanye West hugged, and Kanye appeared to

have begun crying. This was toward the end of the first of two songs of the night he abandoned his floating stage and a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center. After Cudi’s exit, Kanye delivered a 15-minute rant and brought the show to an abrupt end. Naturally, the usual deluge of articles thirsty to gather clicks was immediately present, and if Kanye and Cudi’s moment is mentioned at all, it’s relegated to rap-game, beefsquashing theatrics. Cudi and Kanye both have had battles with depression. But it remains uncertain why Kanye appeared so distraught while he claimed to be on his “Trump shit.” After a premature conclusion, the palpable grief and disappointment moved through the arena like the wave at a baseball game. As I was getting ready to escape the oncoming shit show, a fan directly in front of me attempted to rip his “I Feel Like Pablo” shirt in half. After seeing that he couldn’t, he took it off and threw it at the ground as if there were some stain that needed immediate concealment. The chant “Fuck Kanye” consumed the atmosphere as it ricocheted off the arena architecture. Many of us have had similar nightmares, but we fortunately get to wake up from them. As I left, it was difficult to ignore that the crowd appeared to relish the ugliness of this spectacle. This was the first show since San Jose, where Kanye, one of the most visible black artists on the entire planet, professed admiration for Donald Trump’s rhetorical approach, and inexcusably asked black Americans to stop “being distracted” by racism: a dangerously ignorant statement

directed at black America and to those dedicated allies of black American causes and politics. But to closely follow Kanye’s career as an artist is to come to understand the catalyst of his evolution into becoming this unhinged. The unsettling evolution began after the death of his mother, preceding the recording of 808s & Heartbreak. His bright, baroque backpack rap was mostly exchanged for cold synths and equally cold statements. Hate Kanye? Kanye is an emotionally shattered man with an at-times confused and toxic hubris.

After Sacramento, he canceled the rest of his tour. A refocus of our energies and a recalibration of our celebrity-culture addled minds is increasingly necessary. If you’re going to spend energy on hating a celebrity, might I suggest the president-elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump. —Karlos rene ayala k ar l o s a @ne w s re v i e w . c o m Feel-good punk: In case you forgot, Starlite Lounge doesn’t just showcase metal bands.

Last Friday’s bill was a reminder of that fact. Monster Treasure, Pets and Vasas played for a crowd of about 20 people, and indie rock, garage and pop punk made the night’s sound palette. No moshing. No 14-minute songs. Not a single “Hail Satan.” Instead, catchy, three-chord punk tunes, beginning with Stockton trio Monster Treasure. The band’s singerguitarists led vocal daydreams through a wall of guitar crunch, the tumult chilled out by their calm voices. The drummer was also fun to watch, battering his snare at a speed that looked almost painful. Sacramento punk veterans Pets continued the night’s tradition of feel-good punk rock, this time with thick bass fuzz and guitar grime over Derek Fieth’s and Allison Jones’ playful chants. Mood-wise, they deliver a kind of straightforward, friendly angst that hearkens back to the more whimsical side of punk—high in energy and overdrive, but also lighthearted and favoring simple fun. The night closed with Vasas, and the Sacramento indie group sported a wide range of rock soundscapes. Each of the band’s three guitar players has their own unique singing voice that catered to different genres, including folk and rockabilly. One guy reminded me of Joey Ramone, another of Bob Dylan, and lastly, of Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse. Likewise, you had tunes that swayed like nighttime carousel love songs, followed by running-pace headbobbers appropriate for things like skateboarding and moving at shows. The three bands carried that contagion of genuine joy when they performed. It’s clear they were having fun, and it wasn’t hard to join in. —Mozes zarate

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IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

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25 FRI

26 SAT

27 S UN

The Kelps

Life in 24 Frames

Madeline Kenney

Vista Kicks

Naked LouNge, 8:30 p.m., $5

goLdfieLd TradiNg posT, 6:30 p.m., $10

Word on the street is that the Kelps EP For Neuroses was written while each band member had his or her cerebral cortex stimulated with a live wire. OK, that’s not true, but it’s not hard to believe the songs were conceived under the provocaRocK tion of a mad scientist determined to figure out “where all those feelings come from.” Sometimes dark sentiment is best expressed with dramatic flair, like the way a disguise at the masquerade allows both revelry and anonymity. The Kelps are like that—songs dressed up so that raw wounds can be touched and yet held at arm’s length at the same time. 1111 H Street, www.facebook.com/thekelpsmusic.

There is an inherent contradiction at the heart of local indie four-piece Life in 24 Frames. On one hand, the members describe their purpose as sharing the “honINdIe esty and purity” of their creation. Yet, if you hear any of them describe the concept driving the band, it’s the magic of film—that 24 still images create the illusion of movement in movies. There’s nothing wrong with these disparate thoughts. In fact, it explains how this band can sound so calculated with its production, and yet equally emotive. It’s kind of like watching a tearjerker of a movie that was carefully brought to life by skilled professionals. 1630 J Street, www.lifein24frames.com.

—amy Bee

$ 00

20 00

45 74

—aaroN CarNes

red museum, 7 p.m., $8

HarLow’s resTauraNT & NigHTCLuB, 6 p.m., $10-$15

There are some musicians out there that lend themselves perfectly to an intimate headphone listen while on a long walk along the cliffs of a foggy coastline or amongst the throngs of the populace in an ever-changing cityscape. Madeline Kenney’s EP Signals captures the sensation of oneself curiously looking out at the world and interpreting their place within it. The combination of dreamy, loping melodies with Kenney’s lemon-drop voice engages dReAM PoP both the mosaic imagery of the mind and migratory movement of the body. Her songs take what is personal and makes it familiar. 212 15th Street, www.facebook.com/madelinekenneymusic.

You might recognize these guys from street corners in Roseville, where they used to play songs by Frank Sinatra, INdIe Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Or, perhaps, as the indie pop quartet BABE. Now as Vista Kicks, the Los Angeles-based band has moved toward a more rock ’n’ roll-driven sound, though its pop sensibility remains intact. Think more Beatles-meetsKings of Leon than Two Doors Cinema Club. New songs are tinged with psychedelic guitar solos, catchy melodies and funky edges, which have nabbed the attention of Apple Music and also suits their new long-hairand-black-turtleneck aesthetic. 2708 J Street, http://vistakicks.com.

—amy Bee

—JaNeLLe BiTker

THE COMEDY OF SHANE MAUSS

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32 | SN&R | 11.23.16

A MAd SCIENTIST dETERMINEd TO fINd OUT ‘WHERE All THOSE fEElINGS COME fROM.’

28 MON

29 T UE

01 T HU

The Kyle Gass Band

Hang the Old Year

Waterstrider

Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman

Harlow’s restaurant & nigHtclub, 8 p.m., $12-$15 Kyle Gass is the other half of the comedy rock band Tenacious D with longtime friend and actor Jack Black. But, when Gass isn’t acting in movies or television or touring with the D, he’s busy writing new material with his latest project, the Kyle Gass Band. Gass selected a handful of musicians for the KGB such as lead vocalist and guitarist Mike Bray, who ROCK fronts the band with Gass behind the acoustic guitar. Other musicians include John Konesky (guitar), Jason Keene (bass) and Tim Spier (drums). KBG’s newest album, Thundering Herd, was released in September and features songs like the hard-hitting rock track “Hell (or High Water).” 2708 J Street, www.thekylegassband.com.

press club, 8 p.m., $8

Harlow’s restaurant & nigHtclub, 8 p.m., $14

One listen to the hypnotic groove and chorus of “Breathe, Ascend, Become” from this Portland ensemble should make any fans of the indie record label SHOEGAZE Constellation get on board with these guys, too. Without sounding dated or derivative, and driving forward with utter disregard for consequence, this is one experimental group that manages to create a big sound—almost like a musical version of the Occupy Wall Street movement. They simultaneously avoid sounding patronizing or easy; a stellar find for a Monday night, especially during times like these, no? 2030 P Street, www.facebook.com/hangtheoldyear.

—stepH rodriguez

—eddie Jorgensen

Bay Area electro-indie musician Waterstrider cites “an embrace of androgyny” as one of his chief influences, attributing his desire to emulate the vocal stylings of Jeff Buckley, Nina Simone and Jonsi as significant factors. That seems like an apt descriptor, and comparisons to Local Natives and perhaps a sweetened-up Radiohead are also fitting in terms of the music itself. Waterstrider, a.k.a. Nate Salman, released his second effort, Nowhere Now, in ElECTRO INdIE August on Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records, and those looking for something danceable with a dash of austerity will find much to enjoy. 2708 J Street, www. facebook.com/waterstridermusic.

—deena drewis

Harlow’s restaurant & nigHtclub, 8 p.m., $30 Individually, Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman released two of the most critically lauded indie-rap records of 2016. And yet together, two of rap’s most cerebral rappers offered further cranial HIp-HOp infestations by teaming up for an EP series called Lice and Lice Two: Still Buggin’. Both artists excel at keeping a foot in the golden age and their heads in the clouds, exploring new techniques. Brainiacs, yes, but they never sacrifice the head nod factor of good ole’ boom bap. 2708 J Street, www.facebook.com/ AesopRockWins.

—blake gillespie

LIVE MUSIC NOV 24

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thURSdaY 11/24 BADLANDS

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Want to be a hot show? Mail photos to: calendar editor, Sn&R 1124 del Paso blvd., Sacramento, ca 95815 or email it to sactocalendar@newsreview.com. be sure to include date, time, location and cost of upcoming shows.

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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.

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Cut the wire My ex-wife and I got divorced because she’s addicted to drugs and dudes. I’ve been clean and sober 15 years. I never cheated. Now she claims I should let her stay at my house while she attends an outpatient drug treatment program. I would, but when we were married she always got the cops called to our house. She was the only one ever arrested. I won’t get back with her but when somebody asks for help I feel I should help. What do you think? I think you have mad skill at complicating your life because that’s how you rolled in the past. Now you’re noticing tripwires. Avoid detonations by re-evaluating what “help” means. Your ex-wife’s request might not be helpful for either of you. Don’t recycle drama. Twelve-step programs encourage us to return to serenity and sanity. Given the unresolved emotional baggage between you and your ex, can you cohabitate in peace? What impact would living with your ex have on your sobriety? Getting sober and staying sober is difficult enough without immersion in a relationship fraught with tension, accusations, expectations and violence. How does it help you to bring that back into your life? How would it help her? If you haven’t already done so, talk to your sponsor. As for your ex-wife, cheer her steps toward sobriety. Tell her you’ll send good thoughts her way. But don’t try to save her. Allow her to trust her capacity for self-care. Let her find housing elsewhere. If you loan her money to rent a room during recovery, create a contract with a payment schedule. Ask her to sign the contract, but don’t expect the money returned. Loan only what you can afford to lose and only loan her money one time. It’s cool to offer a helping hand but don’t become her lifeline. That’s harmful to both of you.

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Joint jobs I would like to know how to get a job in the cannabis industry in Sacramento area now that Proposition 64 has passed and, I have been out of work for a while now and hold a cannabis card and have a clean background record. I want to know what I need to do, like, call up the cannabis clubs to see if they are hiring? And does age matter, because I am 53 years old. Also, can I go in person to apply or on the internet? —A.C. Yeah, the easiest way is just to call the clubs and see if they are hiring. Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of age, race, sexual orientation or religion, at least for now. Who knows what President Donald Trump and his band of merry fascists have in mind as they embark upon their profane quest to “Make America Great Again.” Besides calling the clubs, you can also check some online cannabis jobs boards. There are many jobs in the cannabis industry that aren’t just budtending. http://jobs.thecannabisjobboard.com and http://420careers.com are good places to start. Legalization is chugging along and many cannabis businesses need sales people, delivery drivers, production and distribution managers, accountants, you get the gist. Tighten up your resume, and good luck. I was wondering about the pros and cons of heat adjustable vapes. The budtender I last spoke with highly recommended a heatadjustable vape, but I am wondering if it is just a sales gimmick or a valid option. —R.S. Heat-adjustable vapes are awesome. They can be a little pricey, but are often worth the extra few bucks. The whole point of a vaporizer is to cause the glands on the cannabis plant to combust—it’s the glands that contain most of the good stuff like THC and CBD—while leaving the leaves unburned. Many people think of this as a healthier way to enjoy cannabis, and some people say that vaporizing instead of smoking makes it easier to taste the terpenes and flavor profiles of their favorite strains. Since terpenes have a lower flash point than THC, and THC has a lower flashpoint than CBD, the temperature setting can make a big difference in what sort of effects you get from inhaling cannabis vapors. Anything below about 180 degrees Happy Fahrenheit will burn mostly terpenes, so you may Danksgiving, not get that THC buzz you were looking for. The everyone! best bet is to set your vape to around 200 or so degrees. Anything over 230 degrees and you run the risk of burning the leaves, and at that point you might as well smoke a joint. Fiddle around with your adjustable vape until you find a setting that gives you the effects you want. Have fun, and please let me know the results of your experiments. Happy Danksgiving, everyone! Have fun arguing with your relatives, and good luck fighting the forces of fascism and corruption this week! Ω

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FRee will aStRology

by Blake Gillespie

by ROB BRezsny

FOR THE WEEk OF NOVEMBER 23, 2016 ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Creative people are

at greater risk,” said psychiatrist R. D. Laing, “just as one who climbs a mountain is more at risk than one who walks along a village lane.” I bring this to your attention, Aries, because in the coming weeks you will have the potential to be abundantly creative, as well as extra imaginative, ingenious and innovative. But I should also let you know that if you want to fulfill this potential, you must be willing to work with the extra tests and challenges that life throws your way. For example, you could be asked to drop a pose, renounce lame excuses or reclaim powers that you gave away once upon a time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus musician

Brian Eno has been successful as a composer, producer, singer, and visual artist. Among his many collaborators have been David Byrne, David Bowie, U2, Coldplay, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones and James Blake. Eno’s biographer David Sheppard testified that capturing his essence in a book was “like packing a skyscraper into a suitcase.” I suspect that description may fit you during the next four weeks, Taurus. You’re gearing up for some high-intensity living. But please don’t be nervous about it. Although you may be led into intimate contact with unfamiliar themes and mysterious passions, the story you actualize should feel quite natural.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are free! Or

almost free! Or let me put it this way: You could become significantly freer if you choose to be—if you exert your willpower to snatch the liberating experiences that are available. For example, you could be free from a slippery obligation that has driven you to say things you don’t mean. You could be free from the temptation to distort your soul in service to your ego. You might even be free to go after what you really want rather than indulging in lazy lust for a gaggle of mediocre thrills. Be brave, Gemini. Define your top three emancipating possibilities, and pursue them with vigor and rigor.

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

feeling twinges of perplexity? Do you find yourself immersed in meandering meditations that make you doubt your commitments? Are you entertaining weird fantasies that give you odd little shivers and quivers? I hope so! As an analyzer of cycles, I suspect that now is an excellent time to question everything. You could have a lot of fun playing with riddles and wrestling with enigmas. Please note, however, that I’m not advising you to abandon what you’ve been working on and run away. Now is a time for fertile inquiry, not for rash actions. It’s healthy to contemplate adjustments, but not to initiate massive overhauls.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Everybody is dealing

with how much of their own aliveness they can bear and how much they need to anesthetize themselves,” writes psychoanalytic writer Adam Phillips. Where do you fit on this scale, Leo? Whatever your usual place might be, I’m guessing that in the coming weeks you will approach record-breaking levels in your ability to handle your own aliveness. You may even summon and celebrate massive amounts of aliveness that you had previously suppressed. In fact, I’ll recklessly speculate that your need to numb yourself will be closer to zero than it has been since you were 5 years old. (I could be exaggerating a bit; but maybe not!)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do you periodically

turn the volume down on your mind’s endless chatter and tune into the still, small voice within you? Have you developed reliable techniques for escaping the daily frenzy so as to make yourself available for the Wild Silence that restores and revitalizes? If so, now would be a good time to make aggressive use of those capacities. And if you haven’t attended well to these rituals of self-care, please remedy the situation. Claim more power to commune with your depths. In the coming weeks, most of your best information will flow from the sweet darkness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): One of your vices could

at least temporarily act as a virtue. In an odd twist, one of your virtues may also briefly function like a vice. And there’s more to this mysterious

turn of events. A so-called liability could be useful in your efforts to solve a dilemma, while a reliable asset might cloud your discernment or cause a miscalculation. I’m riffing here, Libra, in the hopes of stimulating your imagination as you work your way through the paradoxical days ahead. Consider this intriguing possibility: An influence that you like and value may hold you back, even as something or someone you’ve previously been almost allergic to could be quite helpful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Between now

and the solstice on December 21, you will have extraordinary power to transform into a more practical, well-grounded version of yourself. You may surprise yourself with how naturally you can shed beliefs and habits that no longer serve you. Now try saying the following affirmations and see how they feel coming out of your mouth: “I am an earthy realist. I am a fact-lover and an illusion-buster. I love actions that actually work more than I like theories that I wish would work. I’d rather create constructive change than be renowned for my clever dreams.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Despite your

sign’s reputation, you Sagittarians don’t always require vast expanses to roam in. You aren’t ceaselessly restless, on an inexhaustible quest for unexpected experiences and fresh teachings. And no, you are not forever consumed with the primal roar of raw life, obsessed with the naked truth and fiercely devoted to exploration for its own sake. But having said that, I suspect that you may at least be flirting with these extreme states in the coming weeks. Your keynote, lifted from Virginia Woolf’s diary: “I need space. I need air. I need the empty fields round me; and my legs pounding along roads; and sleep; and animal existence.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “If you can’t get

rid of the skeleton in your closet,” said George Bernard Shaw, “you had best teach it to dance.” This advice is worthy of your consideration, Capricorn. You may still be unable to expunge a certain karmic debt, and it may be harder than ever to hide, so I suggest you dream up a way to play with it—maybe even have some dark fun with it. And who knows? Your willingness to loosen up might at least alleviate the angst your skeleton causes you—and may ultimately transform it in some unpredictably helpful way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “No pain, no

gain” is a modern expression of an old idea. In a second-century Jewish book of ethics, Rabbi Ben Hei Hei wrote, “According to the pain is the gain.” Eighteenth-century English poet Robert Herrick said, “If little labor, little are our gains: Man’s fate is according to his pains.” But I’m here to tell you, Aquarius, that I don’t think this prescription will apply to you in the coming weeks. From what I can surmise, your greatest gains will emerge from the absence of pain. You will learn and improve through release, relaxation, generosity, expansiveness and pleasure.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The less egotistical

you are, the more likely it is that you will attract what you really need. If you do nice things for people without expecting favors in return, your mental and physical health will improve. As you increase your mastery of the art of empathy, your creativity will also thrive. Everything I just said is always true, of course, but it will be intensely, emphatically true for you during the next four weeks. So I suggest you make it a top priority to explore the following cosmic riddle: Practicing unselfishness will serve your selfish goals.

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.

On the block Johnny O’Connor stands at the light rail station at H and 12th streets on a mission from God. He is known as the Block Bishop, a street minister. The 39 year-old Elk Grove resident spends his days off talking about God and hip-hop to anyone who will listen and hands out free CDs that feature his collaborations with spiritual rappers from across the country. He calls his movement AFG MOB, which stands for All For God Ministry On Beatz. Originally from Detroit, O’Connor is an ex-con who says he was imprisoned for “running the streets” which includes drug-related charges, gun charges, and assault and battery. “A lot of violence and hate,” he says. Now he works as a cook in Citrus Heights, is an ordained pastor and attends Bible college. Unlike most rappers, he’s not in it for the money, but proudly declares that he’s in God’s gang. “Being a pastor, I’m not in it for the income, I’m in it for the outcome,” he says.

What brought you to Sacramento? My mom. She was getting older and sicker. Unfortunately, I lost her to cancer about two weeks ago. She had bone cancer. She died the day before Halloween. It was our favorite holiday, too. God, he works funny sometimes, you know what I mean?

Did being in prison lead to finding spirituality? Not at all. I’d be up in jail just mad that I was in jail. It wasn’t until just recently that I met my mentor. He does a thing called the Neighborhood Hope Dealers. He goes block to block, street to street and does the same thing that I do [now]. I was at church one day, and I was drunk and I was mad. I ran into someone from my past in the bathroom. I was ready to stomp him out. Went outside to smoke a cigarette and calm down. These dudes in these shirts that said Neighborhood Hope Dealers came up and started talking to me. I asked if they’d pray for me and they said yeah. Ever since then I’ve been wanting to give back the way they do. I’m part of them, but I have my own thing which is AFG MOB.

What did you learn from Hope Dealers? Without them I wouldn’t have stopped and thought about a lot of things. On Friday nights they hit liquor stores and stuff like that and just start talking to people. They pray with them, show them love.

photo by Lauran Fayne Worthy

Now that’s what I do. It’s back and forth to work [on the light rail] and if I’m off a day this is what I do. I just run up to talk to people. Even if I don’t get to pray with them, I get to talk to them. These are the people that are the forgotten stains on the pavement. No one really bothers, they just look right past them. They’re homeless or they’re addicted to drugs, whatever the case.

in music, [artists] like Tech N9ne, Insane Clown Posse. She used to sing in the church side. She was telling me that. It just came to me one day. I was listening to a lot of the rappers I used to listen to that are Christian artists now. I put a CD together with them. I reached out to them and they all made a song for me.

Do you find that any neighborhoods are more or less responsive to your ministry?

What was life like before you met your mentor and founded AFG Mob? I was tired of getting in trouble. I was tired of getting up in the morning, drinking, going to work, and then drinking and coming home and drinking until I passed out. Every time I was drinking something happened that was bad or worse. Nothing ever good came out it. I was screaming to God one day to help me. I haven’t drank since.

And since you founded AFG Mob? To me, it’s just amazing considering the lifestyle I used to live. I tell people I’m a pastor now and they’re just like what? It’s odd, but it’s the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I’m 39 years old, but I feel like I’m 15 again.

When did you decide to start the street ministry? Probably about eight months ago. I met my fiance. I used to work with other labels

Most of the areas I go to are the poorer neighborhoods. The people that don’t really have anything. Anybody that wants to hear about God will, but I find the poorer neighborhoods are more adept to listen because they just want anybody to talk to them in a positive way.

How has your ministry helped clothe and feed the homeless? I’ll put something on Facebook to ask for donations or I’ll hit the street. My wife at her job, she’ll ask. We have blanket drives, coat drives, food drives, toy drives. We’re trying to do a toy drive now so kids can have something for Christmas. I know on Christmas day I’m going out with the neighborhood Hope Dealers and we’re going out block to block in the poverty stricken areas and handing out toys. Ω

11.23.16 | SN&R | 59

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