s-2017-03-23 by News & Review

Rent control revolution

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The secreT show you’ve likely heard of

At the Halloween Show, cover bands perform in Sacramento’s underground, but some fear that success may spell its death

Is the sheriff still spying?

❤ By Karlos Rene Ayala

08 Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

Volume 28, iSSue 49

thurSday, march

23, 2017

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BUILDING A

HEALTHY S A C R A M E N T O

Change Begins With Youth BY E D G A R S A N C H E Z

ith resistance to President Donald Trump growing daily, a new generation of social justice advocates must be trained — and the time is now. So believes Marcus Strother, coordinator of the Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academy, which grooms Sacramento teens to be tomorrow’s leaders. “If we’re going to teach advocacy, we’re in a situation of being able to do that now more than ever,” Strother says. The reason: By attacking myriad groups, from Latinos to Muslim-Americans, Trump has sparked nationwide protests that have created a teaching moment for the academy’s 390 students. Besides learning in class how to protect their rights, they can also learn from the “Resist” movement that is occurring, Strother suggests. Launched ﬁve years ago, the academy has expanded from an after-school club to an elective program at 13 campuses in the Sacramento City Uniﬁed School District. The academy initially targeted at-risk boys in grades 9-12; its sites at McClatchy and American Legion high schools today include girls. With partial funding from The California Endowment, the goal is to reduce minority dropout rates by teaching academic excellence, respect for elders and advocacy. The students encompass all races; most are African-American and Hispanic. “We don’t want our students to just go to college. We want them to graduate and

become the advocates our communities need,” says Strother, a dynamic educator who came from his native Illinois in 2015 to lead the academy.

“IF WE’RE GOING TO TEACH ADVOCACY, WE’RE IN A SITUATION OF BEING ABLE TO DO THAT NOW MORE THAN EVER.” Marcus Strother Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academy coordinator

He tries to visit each academy site at least twice monthly, and during such visits, he observes the teacher who is running the class (and does some of the teaching himself). One product of the academy is 19-year-old Matthew Cornelius-Germany, who says his experience was transformational. After enrolling in it as a junior at McClatchy High School, Cornelius-Germany went from bad student to good. As a senior he enrolled in the academy at Kennedy High School, from which he graduated in 2015. “The academy was an eye opener,” CorneliusGermany says. “It laid out opportunities for me. … I was reaching out to grab them.”

From left, Marcus Strother and Matthew Cornelius-Germany represent the Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academy, which encourages minority students to excel academically and become leaders in their community. Photo by Edgar Sanchez

Cornelius-Germany is now the academy’s youth ambassador. He speaks to community groups on topics such as the need to build more schools, not prisons. The current sophomore at Cosumnes River and Sacramento City colleges calls Strother, 41, “a great mentor … inspirational to the upcoming generation.” In April, Cornelius-Germany and 23 members of the academy’s student council will explore Washington, D.C. for a week, on a trip partly funded by The California Endowment.

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

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

For more information on the Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academy: Email: marcus-strother@scusd.edu Phone: 916-643-7992 : @MLASacramento

PAID WITH A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT 2 | SN&R | 03.23.17

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

www.SacBHC.org

EditoR’S NotE

maRch 23, 2017 | Vol. 28, iSSuE 49

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Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Interim Editor Robert Speer Associate Editor Raheem F. Hosseini Arts & Culture Editor Rebecca Huval Assistant Editor Anthony Siino Editorial Services Coordinator Karlos Rene Ayala Staff Reporter Scott Thomas Anderson Contributing Editor Rachel Leibrock Contributors Daniel Barnes, Ngaio Bealum, Janelle Bitker, Alastair Bland, Rob Brezsny, Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Willie Clark, John Flynn, Joey Garcia, Lovelle Harris, Jeff Hudson, Dave Kempa, Matt Kramer, Jim Lane, Kel Munger, Kate Paloy, Patti Roberts, Ann Martin Rolke, Shoka, Bev Sykes, Mozes Zarate

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2 kinds of catastrophe Jerry Brown gets it. At a time when the world is distracted by the circus in Washington, California’s governor understands that the two great and intractable threats before which all others pale in significance—atomic warfare and climate change—are getting little to no attention. Christopher Cadelago had a thoughtful piece in Monday’s Sacramento Bee about Brown’s involvement as a member of the board of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit that works to lessen the chance that nuclear war will break out. Cadelago quotes Brown: “Nuclear materials are loose in many places. If the Islamic fanatics get a hold of it, they could drop it on the nation’s Capitol, decapitating our country. This is serious business. … [There has been] virtually no conversation about this, and it is damned dangerous.” Even more so now that North Korea, a country ruled by, in columnist Michael Gerson’s apt description, “a mental pubescent,” seems to be ratcheting up its nuclear capabilities while the United States, in the form of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, futilely rattles sabers in response. Brown understands that the nuclear threat and climate change are similar in important ways. Both threaten catastrophic consequences, both require a high level of international cooperation and collaboration to solve, and both, alas, “don’t capture the public imagination right now.” With a temperamentally fragile and profoundly inexperienced man in the White House, the prospect that either of these threats will be attended to anytime soon is virtually nil. Let’s hope people start listening to Jerry Brown.

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“My friends are just tHe way i feel.”

askeD aT The sTaTe CapiTol:

How do you make friends as an adult?

Tamie Dr amer chair of Organize Sacramento

The first thing you do is find common interests and spend time together. ... Not just friends on Facebook. If I don’t know the person personally, I don’t generally accept them until I actually meet them face-to-face. That’s the way to do it to actually make it real.

moniCa menDoza student

I make friends through class or through any extracurricular things. Work is probably the place where I’ve met most of my friends. I would say work is the best place to make friends. And the internet is great, but, of course, you have to have good judgment or good intuition of people.

Dy wan Brown weightlifter

I’ve met a lot of people [through] sports, I traveled around, spent a lot of money. My friends are just the way I feel. It’s not really going around being with a lot of people ‘cause a lot of people don’t have time. Everybody has to work. I meet friends just saying hi and bye, you know, casual stuff.

DeBor ah Griffin

Tommy BanDy

financial director

I look at making friends either at work, or church events or trying to find a social event that I could be a part of. You just can’t walk up to people and say, “Hi, I’m Deborah. Would you be my friend?” They don’t do that anymore. They look at you strange.

arTee Greene

resources coordinator

My friends consist of veterans, or other people that can relate. I was used to saying, “Hey, how are you doing?” You do that now and people look at you crazy. I get out a lot and do things with the homeless. You make a lot of friends that way, but other than that it’s very difficult.

retired

Since I’ve been showing dogs, I have met people. Not only through social media, but at the different dog shows. For some reason, people want to talk to me and confide in me. At my age, the best way is through something like showing dogs or volunteering.

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We are the future. We are Elk Grove Unified. 03.23.17 | SN&R | 5

6 | SN&R | 03.23.17

ONLINE BUZZ

Email lEttErs to sactolEttErs@nEwsrEviEw.com

GEO Group is good Re “Prisoner of policy” by Scott Thomas Anderson (SN&R News, March 16): After working for 25 years in state and federal prisons, I have found the GEO Group to be an outstanding company. After retirement, I assisted several teams of people just like me and conducted policy compliance reviews and found every one of their facilities to be in compliance. Mac McIntosh Lon gw ood, F l a .

Welcome home Re “On solving homelessness” (SN&R Online Buzz, March 16): For starters, it is not legal for families to allow homeless people to camp on their property. As for homeowners taking in a homeless person, that happens all the time. Before I was first homeless, I learned that my online

friend, Steve, who co-blogged “Thoughts Chase Thoughts” with me, also lived in the same city that I did, Sacramento! Steve and his wonderful wife allowed me to spend nights in their spare room on many occasions. Of course, being a homeless man, I robbed them blind and set fire to their garage—but they forgave me. Whoops. I told a fib.

Actually, I’ve done nothing bad to lose Steve’s trust, and we remain good friends eight years after I was first homeless. While I cannot say how frequently it happens, homeowners take in homeless people they’ve known, or recently befriended, all the time. These occurrences are not something that gets tallied by any agency anywhere. Tom Anderson Sacramento Homeless Blog

Trump’s ‘silent majority’? Re “All for naught?” by Robert Speer (SN&R Editor’s note, March 16): After millions of dollars were spent demonizing Trump, 88 percent of registered voters didn’t vote. Could it be that those nonvoters support Mr. Trump’s policies? Perhaps they are

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what President Nixon called “the silent majority.” Hugh Montgomery Sacramento

Ballet ‘treasures’ Re “Dance dance evolution” by Mozes Zarate, SN&R News, March 9, 2017: Though I have no idea the background of the writer, I am glad that your publication is often a better source of information than The Sacramento Bee. I follow many local performing arts. The Bee seems to care little for the arts, and they devote a lot of coverage to sports. We lost our symphony, and the Sacramento Ballet has never gotten the support they so deserve. Our wonderful company and the current and longtime artistic directors should be retained. They are truly Golden State treasures. LaRue Brewster-Carnes Sacramento

On vOTEr TurnOuT in ThE aGE Of Trump: Vote for who? The DNC, “Centrists,” who have held the hand of the GOP, and walked our nation well to the Right of Center in the political spectrum, all while claiming, “compromise?” No. We need a party for the Left, but that’s never going to happen with the uncontrolled power of these two parties and unregulated, bought and paid for, corporate propaganda, disguised as, “free press.” A Storm is Coming.

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The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department’s use of StingRay technology works by fooling nearby cellphones into sending their information to a synthesized cellphone tower. ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET LARKIN

Under the radar

StingRay drew the ire of civil rights advocates

The StingRay cases are still open, so why are the plaintiffs claiming victory? by Matt KraMer

Raheem F. Hosseini contributed to this report.

Given a political climate that George Orwell seems to have predicted, the revelation that the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department used StingRay technology to gather cellphone and email metadata without a warrant for nearly a decade wasn’t terribly surprising. But more than a year after a local lawsuit sought to get to the bottom of the secret surveillance program, the case has stalled and the ACLU and Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office are claiming vindication.

8 | SN&R | 03.23.17

StingRay works by mimicking a cellphone tower and causing nearby cellphones to identify themselves. Using this information, law enforcement can identify who is in a particular area, collect metadata including emails and text messages, and keep track of a target’s movements. The technology casts a wide net, often gathering data from those who aren’t under investigation, said Matt Cagle, technology and civil-liberties policy attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

In September 2015, Sacramento County Public Defender Paulino Duran and his deputy, attorney Steven Garrett, brought a writ of mandate and 19 discovery motions on behalf of six defendants against the sheriff’s department, requesting information related to the use of StingRay pertaining to their cases. Eighteen months later, the case— listed in court documents as Thang Van Bui v. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department—is still open, but the plaintiffs are claiming victory anyway.

not only at the local level, but also on a statewide scale and at the national level, after a federal appeals court ruled in June 2016 that such data collection does not require a warrant. The ACLU launched a separate suit over the warrantless use of StingRay and related technologies against the sheriffs’ departments of Sacramento and Anaheim counties in March 2016. That followed the agencies’ refusal to disclose information following a 2014 request for documents related to StingRay use, according to a news release from the ACLU. This is concerning to Cagle and the ACLU. “StingRays are really part of a bigger trend of secretive surveillance,” Cagle said. “In the years after the 9/11 attacks, we’ve seen local law enforcement rushing ahead to secretly buy invasive surveillance technology using federal grant dollars. … Often these tools are not debated publicly before they’re deployed, and they’re used without any sort of policy to prevent misuse and violation of civil rights.”

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fragMented continuuM Cagle said many at-risk and marginalized community members are afraid of bulk data collection under a Trump administration that has been outspoken against, and actively working to limit, the rights of Muslims, the media and other groups. Especially concerning is President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to restore “law and order,” echoing the dark sentiments of the Nixon era but with additional technical resources on hand. “This new federal administration has inherited the keys to a massive surveillance state,” Cagle said. “Communities … are ready for local leaders to take a stand and adopt protections that would require these tools be debated publicly and subject to real oversight.” According to the ACLU, though five redacted documents were provided after a second request, the Anaheim County Sheriff’s Department has repeatedly said it simply does not have comprehensive documentation to provide relating to StingRay use. That’s problematic, said ACLU senior staff attorney Linda Lye, noting that the department previously had admitted use of a StingRay device. “That was clear from grant applications to state agencies it had filed—but it didn’t have any policies or procedures governing the use of this highly intrusive technology,” Lye said. “It was not until well after we filed suit and asked in the discovery … how they use this intrusive device, that they publicly announced going forward they would have a policy.” Lye added that law enforcement has often argued that sharing information about their data collection techniques will help criminals circumvent their efforts. This, Lye said, is a red herring. “When law enforcement deploys intrusive technology, it needs to be transparent with the public,” Lye said. “It also needs to have clear policies and procedures so that the technology is not abused.” Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones acknowledged the use of StingRay technology only after a series of reports from news outlet KXTV Channel 10 brought the practice to light. Originally, Jones claimed a federal contract required his agency to keep the technology secret. In 2016, the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act became law after Gov. Jerry Brown signed it in October 2015. The law stipulates that government agencies must obtain a warrant before deploying StingRay or similar technology.

system at its two jails. Biometric systems work by recording and identifying people through “facial features, fingerprints, iris patterns, and vocal characteristics,” an agenda report explained. Civil rights attorneys have expressed concern about the collection of biometric data inside jails. Angela F. Chan is a policy director and senior staff attorney as for the local case, it’s essentially in a who manages the Criminal Justice Reform holding pattern while the plaintiffs wait to Program at Asian Americans Advancing see what happens to the ACLU suit, Justice–Asian Law Caucus in San said public defender Garrett. Francisco. Chan said law Besides, the case may be enforcement agencies moot, inasmuch as the could use these next-gen Sacramento County technologies to build “This new federal Sheriff’s Department databases containing has agreed to the fingerprint and administration has obtain warrants DNA information inherited the keys to a for the future use of every person massive surveillance state.” of StingRay, and who comes into most of what the custody. Matt Cagle ACLU was hoping She added that attorney, American Civil Liberties Union to accomplish local law enforceof Northern California apparently has been ment could also share achieved. this information with It should be noted, the federal government, however, that StingRay’s which has already built a technology is several years old, national biometric database known and it isn’t hard to imagine that other as the Next Generation Identification devices could be used in the future that program. may not currently require warrants. In “They want to collect all the fingerfact, the original request for enhancement prints,” Chan told SN&R. of StingRay technology, submitted by the That seems less far-fetched after Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department WikiLeaks unloaded more than 8,700 to the U.S. Department of Homeland confidential documents this month Security, went so far as to call it “soon to purportedly showing the CIA developed be antiquated equipment.” malware that could turn mobile devices The sheriff’s department has made and smart TVs into secret recording other, more transparent inroads into adoptdevices, among other secret surveillance ing next-gen technology, both through its abilities. license-plate-reader systems and separate As with the StingRay technology, investments in biometric technology for some cybersecurity analysts deemed the patrol officers and at its jails. CIA’s hacking tools archaic by the time In June of last year, county supervisors they were revealed, with the intelligence approved roughly $1.1 million in spending agency likely having moved onto newer so the sheriff’s department and other law innovations. enforcement agencies could renew their For those worried about the encroachsubscription to an information-sharing ment of such technologies, the StingRay data system called COPLINK. Along with suit represents a minor victory in a allowing otherwise disconnected criminal rapidly escalating surveillance arms race justice databases to talk to each other, of unseen privacy clashes. the agreement allows for “the potential Yet, as litigation wraps up at the state purchase of new functionalities,” an agenda level, the public defender’s office seems report said, including facial recognition soft- satisfied with the result. ware on mobile devices. The new contract “We uncovered a great deal about how is good through June 30 of this year but can the process worked that’s now a matter be extended through 2019. of public record,” Garrett said. “We’re Aside from the data-sharing contract, gratified that that happened, and we’re the sheriff’s department also received gratified that the sheriff’s [department] political approval in October 2015 to has agreed that they will seek warrants on spend up to $1.8 million in Cal-ID state the use of StingRay devices. We consider funds on a new biometric identification that a benefit we all agree on.” Ω Lye said the lawsuits are wrapping up and that she expects the Sacramento and Anaheim suits to be concluded this year. Sacramento County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull cited his department’s policy in declining to comment on the lawsuit, but did confirm that the case is still open.

On solving sacramento’s homelessness crisis, county and city leaders are increasingly going in different directions. County officials escalated a simmering dispute with their city counterparts on Tuesday by advancing a set of initiatives intended to prop up and expand help for hundreds of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. But the approximately $11 million plan has left homeless advocates scratching their heads. While the money is for goals they generally support, they’re part of a go-it-alone strategy that could scatter increasingly scarce federal resources from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which faces massive cuts from President donald trump. Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, called the county proposal “riddled with issues” and “a house of cards.” Rather than team up on one comprehensive strategy that maximizes available resources, Erlenbusch said, the county was creating a separate prong that would ultimately dilute impact. “With $7.5 billion in cuts to HUD being proposed, now is the time for the city and county to work together at the same table and not show gaping cracks in whatever ‘partnership’ exists,” he told the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Supervisors were expected to provide direction to their staff during the March 21 hearing, which occurred after print deadline. As part of the plan, the county is looking to redirect $1.2 million of the general fund money it currently has invested in programs run by sacramento steps forward toward a pair of new initiatives it would have total control over, including “rehousing” dormitories, which would provide low-barrier access and case management services to people with partners, pets and possessions. The redirected funds would mostly sap Steps Forward’s own rapid rehousing program, and hints at the behind-the-scenes political turmoil that has embroiled the area’s lead agency for ending homelessness. (Raheem F. Hosseini)

need u Back Sacramento city leaders are doing a u-turn on Measure u—at least on their plan to phase it out. Measure U is the temporary half-cent sales tax voters adopted in 2012 to offset recession-era cuts to the police, fire and parks departments, primarily. The measure called for the tax to end in 2019. Yet, if city leaders want to leverage this year’s unrelated $12.8 million budget surplus on initiatives for affordable housing, homeless relief and youth services, then Measure U has to keep backstopping the general fund. The special tax raised north of $42 million last year. That’s a lot, but the city is staring at more than $320 million in unfunded liabilities thanks to ballooning pension costs. That reality was made clear last week to the Measure U Citizens Oversight Committee. City Finance Director Leyne Milstein told the committee that council members are working to get Measure U back on the 2018 ballot. When asked by committee members, Milstein acknowledged the city’s policy originally called for a “wind down” of Measure U spending next year—but no longer. “We’re taking direction from our policymakers, and their direction right now has been to pull together a subcommittee of the council to talk about Measure U renewal,” Milstein said. Over the last four years, Measure U funds allowed the parks department to regain 60 percent of its 2008 staffing levels, while the police department got back to 94 percent. The fire department, Milstein testified, has been fully restored to pre-recession staffing levels. (Scott Thomas Anderson)

03.23.17 | SN&R | 9

Jonah Paul (center rear) of Sacramento’s chapter of Democratic Socialists of America addresses a crowd of residents on rent control March 4. Photo courtesy of Veronica Beaty

Renters strike back Statewide nonprofit, DSA launch rent control campaign in Sacramento by Scott thomaS anderSon

A bare-bones conference room off Broadway Avenue became the staging ground last week for a campaign to bring Sacramento’s surging rent prices under control. Despite the low-key environs, one group at the center of this effort has a track record for curbing rental prices in the Bay Area through grassroots activism. The setting for the March 14 meeting was inside the office of Organize Sacramento, a local nonprofit offering strategic consulting services. But the main principals were two other groups—the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and the Democratic Socialists of America—that announced they’re teaming up to launch a campaign for rent control in the capital city. The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, or ACCE, is a statewide nonprofit that played a key role in getting rent control passed in the city of Richmond in 2015. Boasting more than 10,000 members from San Diego to Oakland, ACCE specializes in helping neighborhoods find a political voice for housing justice and health initiatives. 10 | SN&R | 03.23.17

Sacramento’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, has also experienced increasing membership as of late. One of its members, Russell Rawlings, ran for mayor last year and, at one point, was polling at 10 percent before he dropped out of the race to endorse winner Darrell Steinberg. Rawlings was the first to speak at the rent control meeting. “How many people in this room are paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent?” Rawlings asked, seeing hands go up. “It’s a reality for a lot of people, and it’s becoming a reality for a lot more.” Referencing data from the Sacramento Housing Alliance, Ian Lee, president of the local DSA chapter, indicated the average Sacramento rent climbed from $873 a month in 2011 to $1,350 in 2016, while the price for an average one-bed unit shot up from $668 to $1,109 in the same period. Meanwhile, U.S. Census statistics found the region’s median income stagnated in that very time frame. Independent of those numbers, a report from RentRange

sc o tta @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

indicates that, in 2015, Sacramento experienced the second-highest rent increase in the nation. “These numbers, at the end of the day, are people,” Lee told the crowd. “Hundreds of thousands of people not being able to get by.” Sacramento’s DSA chapter will be lending support on the ground to ACCE, which was in the coalition that overcame the well-funded California Apartment Association to bring rent control to Richmond. That battle involved passing rent control first through a city council vote and—after a ballot initiative from the apartment association was raised against it— through a counter-ballot measure that won with a resounding 65 percent of the public vote. The apartment association spent more than $200,000 in Richmond fighting rent control, according to the East Bay Express. The Richmond measure caps yearly rent increases from landlords at the Consumer Price Index, which is roughly 2 percent a year. It also demands just cause be articulated for renters to be evicted.

The apartment association tried to block the regulations in court, claiming they were unconstitutional, but found itself on the losing end of a February ruling. The city of Richmond now lists its “Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction and Homeowner Protection” ordinance on its website. The Bay Area city of Mountain View passed a similar rent control measure in November, but is still defending it from the apartment association in court. ACCE’s Jovana Fajardo, who participated in the Richmond campaign, said her group would look to create a similar rent control model for Sacramento. She added that ACCE’s initial outreach around the capital is yielding alarming results. “We have apartments [in Sacramento] that have raised the rent on tenants four times in one year,” Fajardo stressed. “And these aren’t cases of $25 each time. … We need to get tenants to start sharing their stories.” One housing policy research group, the California Housing Partnership Corporation, has already found enough of those stories to determine Sacramento County’s lowest-income residents are spending 62 percent of their incomes on rent alone. That is another stat that Lee, Rawlings and others involved in the new campaign say demands immediate action. Yet, even if a rent control measure is successful in Sacramento, a state law known as Costa-Hawkins severely limits the extent to which the city could enforce it. Under Costa-Hawkins, local rent control cannot be applied to singlefamily homes, condos or any unit built after 1995. Last month, Assemblyman Richard Bloom introduced Assembly Bill 1505 to repeal Costa-Hawkins. The audience at last Tuesday’s meeting was briefed on supporting the Santa Monica Democrat’s legislation. The ACCE and DSA’s joint push to keep locals from being priced out of their communities will start with doorto-door outreach across the city. That’s the first step, Fajardo told attendees, in overcoming special-interest groups who can spend $20 per signature to defeat a ballot initiative. Lee concurred, emphasizing that forming coalitions and reaching out to working-class Sacramentans is vital. “The landlords are going to do everything they can to try to stop every one of us,” Lee said at the meeting. “By having these conversations on the streets, we’re trying to build a movement.” Ω

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Crockett, 96, did not reply before publication. Amid tensions over their artistic future, the She recently retired from the Deane Dance Center Sacramento Ballet’s dancers are seeking to in Sacramento, which she co-founded with her unionize for the first time in the company’s daughter in 1994. recent history. “The support and assistance that the Board is The move comes against the backdrop of a receiving from these great individuals, without feud gone public within the 63-year-old ballet, question, will greatly enhance the Board’s abilwhose longtime artistic directors are fighting to ity to select the best suited candidate that will stay on beyond the 2017-18 performance season. allow the Sacramento Ballet to sustainably grow The pair, Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda, and flourish both locally and nationally,” board has led the ballet’s artistic side since 1991. While President Nancy Garton said in the release. the ballet’s board of directors announced last July The release made no mention of Cunningham that the couple had agreed to resign after next and Binda in its historical summary of the ballet, season, the couple upended that script in January, provoking furor from their supporters. Some when Cunningham and Binda wrote that they characterized the omission as “alt-facts,” a “whiteweren’t ready to leave their posts in a Sacramento wash” and “historical revisionism” on Facebook. Bee letter to the editor. “The fact that Ron and Carinne have Since then, several of the company’s disappeared from the company 26 dancers spoke out against the history is certainly a slap in transition, despite the board’s the face at the very least,” warning of disciplinary action. Diane Cypher, a former (See “Dance dance evolution” Sacramento Ballet dancer, “They want to be able by Mozes Zarate, March 9, wrote via email. Her 2017.) Last week, the dancto influence decisions, and Change.org petition ers unanimously signed a they want a forum.” protesting the transition, petition seeking representatitled “Save Sacramento tion from the American Nora Heiber Ballet,” has garnered 845 Guild of Musical Artists, a West Coast dance executive, American supporters. national labor organization Guild of Musical Artists In the past, dancers have that represents performers said they’ve felt ignored by and stage managers in dance the board. Depending on the companies including the New outcome, a collective bargaining York and San Francisco ballets. agreement could address some of their “They want to be able to influence complaints, including how much they get paid. decisions, and they want a forum,” said Nora Half of them make near-poverty-level wages— Heiber, AGMA’s West Coast dance executive. around $16,000 a year. The union sent a letter to the ballet’s board “If [the union] being there gives the company of directors last Thursday asking it to voluntarily incentive to pay the dancers better, then we’re recognize AGMA as the dancers’ collective going to use that strength,” Heiber said. “But bargaining rep by March 23. If not, AGMA will file with the National Labor Relations Board push- we’re certainly not going to ask the company to do anything that would break them.” ing to officially elect them as the dancers’ union. Heiber added that negotiations could also give The board declined to comment. dancers a greater ability to influence Cunningham On March 8, the ballet issued a release updatand Binda’s future involvement with the ballet, ing the search for a new artistic director, boasting depending on the board’s response. of a pool of more than 20 candidates from the “Should the board decide to replace them, it is United States and Europe. The release also named important to the artists that the transition be handled Barbara Crockett, who co-founded the ballet with the respect and esteem that these two individuwith her husband in 1954 and served as company als deserve,” Heiber said. “It’s not a mystery that, director until 1986, as leading the board’s search after a time of uncertainty, they would have made advisory committee, made up of some current this move, and it’s long overdue.” Ω Sacramento Ballet dancers, former dance professionals and longtime patrons.

caLL or text chuck at 916.230.0113

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tEAM! • Editor • AdvErtising MAnAgEr • MArkEting & PublicAtions consultAnt • distribution drivEr For MorE inForMAtion And to APPly, go to www.nEwsrEviEw.coM/jobs. SN&R is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workplace.

03.23.17 | SN&R | 11

Hydropower is a clean source of electricity, but there are few viable sites left in California for new dams. Shown here: nimbus Dam on the american River near folsom.

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The future of energy California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker on creating carbon-free electricity by Jeff vonKaenel

This story was made possible by a grant from Tower Cafe.

Michael Picker’s bio at Lincoln Crow Strategic Communications, a company he co-founded, says he’s someone who “knows his way around government and elections.” No kidding. For more than 30 years, Picker’s been an all-purpose organizer and administrator, working twice for Gov. Jerry Brown, doing a stint as deputy state treasurer, then serving as chief of staff to late Sacramento mayor Joe Serna for seven years. In 2012, he was elected to the Sacramento Municipal Utility board, then, in 2014, Brown appointed him to the California Public Utilities Commission. He became president of that powerful regulatory body on January

12 | SN&R | 03.23.17

1, 2015. He recently sat down with SN&R CEO Jeff vonKaenel to discuss the future of energy in California. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) The basic structure of the California Public Utilities Commission was set up a century ago. Do you think it is still viable? When I got here, people told me they had not seen so much change in the electricity industry in 100 years. I think bigger changes are coming. I’ll try to describe some of the forces that are reshaping the industry. My first point is: Most of our energy policy today does not focus so much on supply but rather on how clean

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it is, on air quality. Our primary energy goal is greenhouse gas reduction. We are trying to clean up our electricity supply, but it’s not just electricity that matters, it’s also all the other ways we create and use energy. For example, we use a lot of natural gas for heating and cooking and for buildings and industrial, particularly manufacturing. The other big use of energy in California is for transportation. Coincidentally, 20 percent of the carbon in California that is emitted into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas precursors comes from the electricity industry, 30 percent comes from natural gas and 40 percent comes from the use of petroleum products in transportation.

So your main point is … That if we are buying renewables it’s because they are a way to take carbon out of the electricity industry. Where previously the PUC’s major focus was to oversee the distribution of energy, now the major focus is on greenhouse gas reduction. The message here is that clean electricity is our preferred fuel for these other energy uses. We want to use carbon-free electricity in heating, cooking and in our buildings, in our industry and in transportation. The purpose of the PUC now is to build the infrastructure that will take carbon out of California’s economy. Increasing the amount of clean electricity and allowing the electric utilities to take market share out of the gas utilities and away from the petroleum industry is the only way we can reach our GHG goals. My second point is this: Renewables are really competitive; we should stop obsessing about them. They are cheaper in most parts of the U.S. where you have good renewable resources than any other source of electricity. What do you mean when you say we should stop obsessing about renewables? Renewable energy is only part of the answer, and it is actually pretty easy to get; it’s a commodity. In fact, we have so much of it during certain days of the year, and certain times of the day, that we have to pay people to take it. (Laughs.) Point No. 3? The electricity system is increasingly variable. For example, we used to have a lot of automotive manufacturing in California that was running at consistent levels 24/7 six days a week. We don’t have that anymore. Increasingly we do things with computers that are in buildings; they get hot at the end of the day, and the computers and buildings need cooling. Now we have electricity use that starts in the morning with people waking up and turning on the lights to make coffee. Around 2 p.m. it starts to increase pretty dramatically, because that’s when people start cooling things, particularly computers, buildings and homes, and it continues to climb until 8 or 9 o’clock at night. Our resources need to match that demand, with its big ramp-up. We have resources that do that up until 6 o’clock.

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“It probably won’t make sense for the electric utilities to sell electricity anymore,” says Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission.

photo courtesy cpuc

Is that solar? Solar and wind. With solar, we have a curve in generation that starts around 10 a.m. and lasts until 2 p.m. during which we have too much electricity, and then at about 5 p.m. the solar starts to drop off. The system is really variable, so we have to treat it differently.

At night, when we have excess hydro and wind [in the power grid], they would chill that water tank, and when they needed electricity they used that cold water mass as a big swamp cooler. They didn’t have to use electricity in that hot peak where everybody else was competing.

So we have to figure out ways either to store electricity or generate it at the right times? Hydro is useful because you can spin it up really fast. At 5 p.m., as things start to cool down, you can really turn up your hydro, and it does that really quickly. You can keep it going at higher levels up until 9 o’clock, and then you can let it back off. The other technology that matches that ramp-up is gas peakers [natural-gas-fired power plants used to meet peak power needs] and battery storage. Some technologies fit in different places better than others. You don’t have hydro in downtown San Francisco. Gas peakers are a bit smaller, so they can fit closer to where there is demand. Battery storage is really small and very flexible because you don’t have to have a gas supply; you can fit it right into the electric system right where you need it.

So the customers can influence this by reducing their total energy use, making their own energy, or moving their energy use to a better time of day? All of those things, and they can innovate in a way that utilities don’t. These are things customers can figure out to meet their needs better than the large utility can.

OK. What’s Point 4? Point 4 is that managing these new kinds of resources and the grid probably adds more value in the electrical part of the infrastructure to replace these other technologies simply because of all of the changing technology. Accommodating these changing technologies and trying to manage them will bring more value to people in terms of how they use their electricity, where we can use it and for what other purposes. We need to allow direct transactions between customers, because Point 5 is that customers are doing more things for themselves. Talk about that. An example would be a bunch of warehouse owners who bought a big industrial chiller and a big water tank.

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That includes time-of-day use, right? The first people who will do time of use will be those who have solar panels on their roof that are paid for by net metering. Most of them decided to be energy producers; they’re going to make their own electricity, but they are going to sell their excess. That’s the crazy thing: They’re not just making electricity for themselves, but they’re selling it back to the rest of us in the system. The system has to be plugand-play so customers can plug it in and the system says, “Here is a battery, here is an electric vehicle, here is a solar.” You don’t have to worry about it. That is Point 5. Point 6 is that all of this is changing the nature of the utilities. As a matter of fact, it probably won’t make sense for the electric utilities to sell electricity anymore, or be the only ones who sell it. They should provide the platform, the infrastructure that allows people to use electricity to drive carbon out of their homes, and out of our industry. For a lot of people this will be a big change because they’re going to have to think about their energy use, both in terms of their personal use and their transportation choices. Their means of transportation is going to reshape some of our industries. Ω

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Casale’s European tour that are nothing short of spectacular! With “Gaston,” the show-stopping “Be Our Guest,” and the beloved title song.

ON THE TOWN · JULY 11-16 New York, New York, it’s a helluva town! The recent Broadway revival of this classic musical comedy got rave reviews and multiple Tony nominations. It’s back at Music Circus for the ﬁrst time since 1961. Three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City ﬁnd three high-spirited women in an unforgettable adventure. The soaring score by Leonard Bernstein features “Lonely Town” and “New York, New York.”

9 TO 5 · JULY 25-30 A hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the ofﬁce place, based on the hit 1980 “girl power” movie. The hit musical comedy features the Tony Award-nominated score by Dolly Parton and includes the Grammy Award®-winning title song. Variety calls it “A satisfying tale of comical comeuppance, equal parts feminist fantasy fulﬁllment and sitcom-style farce.”

DAMN YANKEES · AUGUST 8-13 A devilishly clever multi Tony Award-winning Best Musical that any baseball fan will appreciate. Mega-fan Joe Boyd trades his soul to lead his beloved Washington Senators to victory over the New York Yankees, only to realize the true worth of the life he left behind. This Music Circus production is directed and choreographed by the same team behind last season’s critically acclaimed Nice Work If You Can Get It.

SISTER ACT · AUGUST 22-27 Based on the hit 1992 ﬁlm starring Whoopi Goldberg, this divine musical comedy is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of sisterhood, with a score by Tony and Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken. The New York Daily News calls it “A feel-good crowd-pleaser worth celebrating.” “Thrilling!” adds The New Yorker.

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South by WeSt Sac West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon went the extra miles last week, attending hipster heaven South by Southwest, where he boasted to Route Fifty his goal of running his administration like a “lean startup.” The popular seven-termer (!) has always been his city’s biggest cheerleader. Just check out his social media feeds to see him

hard-selling everything from the riverfront’s new tongue-curved events center, the Barn, to goats. Actual goats. Here’s hoping that last tweet stirred a response from SXSW headliners the Wu-Tang Clan, which can really claim G.O.A.T. (“greatest of all time,” for you squares) status.

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Chuck Berry, the father of rock and roll, died March 18 at the age of 90. By melding city blues with hillbilly folk, Berry laid the foundation for a musical genre he himself perfected through tight, timeless jams played harder and faster than any before him. Berry’s tasty licks and jimmy-leg stage presence have been cribbed by everyone else ever since. So essential was Berry, in fact, that his music literally transcends the cosmos: In 1977, “Johnny B. Goode” was shot into space as part of the Voyager space mission. You’re welcome, aliens.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the conservative, anti-women Independent Women’s Forum will award Vice President Mike Pence the Working for Women Award. Of course. A staunch opponent of Planned Parenthood and paid family leave, Pence also voted thrice against legislation that would narrow the gender wage gap and remained on Donald Trump’s ticket after recordings surfaced of his boss bragging about sexual assault. These are just a few of the reasons that Jezebel referred to Pence as “a prolapsed anus in a hairpiece.” That might be a tad harsh. Unlike his running mate’s, Pence’s hair is real.

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MonSter MoutH Alert According to an American Association of Orthodontists report from February, 13 percent of association members are seeing patients who have attempted to straighten their own teeth using everyday materials like rubber bands, dental floss, fishing line and paper clips. Ouch! The trend, which was first identified last year, is attributed to the spread of YouTube tutorials that people are following with “horrific results,” said Dr. Andrew Harner, president of the California Association of Orthodontists. Coincidentally, disseminating DIY dental surgery videos is also part of the Republican plan to expand “access” to health care.

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w o h s T e r The seckely heard of you’ve li

, At the Halloween Show in cover bands perform und, Sacramento’s undergro ccess but some fear that su may spell its death

by Karlos Rene Ayala karlosa@newsreview.com

* Full discloure: Serene Lusano is a participant in this year’s Halloween Show

16 | SN&R | 03.23.17

ano

*Illustrations by Serene Lus

The Halloween Show’s theme this year is “Trios”; Primus, Motorhead, the Bee Gees, Spinal Tap and 18 others will perform at an undisclosed location (that you can easily Google) this Saturday, March 25. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the show starts at 5 p.m. The cover is $5 for performers and $10 for everyone else.

“People want it to be the same show that it was 12 years ago; shit, even five years ago. People will see that it’s in the News & Review and think, ‘Great, now it’s something else.’ They’ll probably say that you’re part of the problem of turning it into a more commercialized event. I wish I could tell you they wouldn’t be upset at you, but I think they already are.” —Allen Maxwell, Sacramento musician

“we had a fascination with GG Allin, as everyone does.”

welve years ago, I was working at an art-house theater where a lady would regularly sneak into the men’s room and smell the urinals for some reason probably best left unknown. It was there that my co-workers told me about the show. I went alone. It was in an attic. The theme was “Cocaine Bands.” A man costumed as Robert Plant was there, and he had a fake dove on his shoulder. As the music kicked in, Plant threw the dove to the ground, hoping to make it look like it was flying. Years later, when I was performing at the 2010 show, Courtney Love forgot all the lyrics once we hit the stage, despite our having practiced for months. That was cool. I felt like I was really in Hole. In a more recent year, an audience member kicked someone else in the head. Another person grabbed the headstock of my guitar and turned all the tuning pegs violently and wildly like a hard wind boxing a weather vane. My guitar was out of tune for the entire performance. Still, it must have gone over well because people said it was like really watching Nirvana. In the meantime, someone in the audience broke his leg. All of this happened within the span of 12 minutes. The years add up. For more than two decades now, Sacramento has been celebrating Halloween twice a year. One arrives, as it has every year since the early 1900s, on October 31, as a secular—yet commercially driven—holiday; a boon to confectioneries and costume manufacturers alike. The other strives to reject any commercial aspects. After all, profit motives and bureaucracy often lay waste to artists’ goals of collectively constructing a strong, inclusive community within a city. It’s in the underground that artists create on their own terms while waiting

Joel Goulet sacramento artist and musician

to be recognized as a legitimate entity (i.e., moneymaker). This do-it-yourself punk ethos is at the heart of what many consider Sacramento’s best-kept secret. A group of friends created the city’s longestrunning underground art project—one that has spanned decades and included generations. But to some, it’s also just glorified live-band karaoke, an increasingly ornate talent show for an insular, aging group of friends. The masquerade might appear ridiculous to an outsider, to watch a bunch of adults applaud each other’s carnivalesque pantomime of some pathetic performer’s glory days. Stuck in nostalgia worse than a bug suspended in piss-colored amber. So, why have I been going to this thing for more than a decade?

The rules It was the fall of 1994 in Midtown Sacramento, and Halloween was fast approaching. A few young punks were looking to book a Halloween cover band show. They knew Scott Soriano would be the man to talk to. Soriano, labelhead of S-S and Sol Re Sol Records, was booking shows at the Loft, the now legendary show space that hosted seminal acts such as Bikini Kill, Lightning

Bolt, Unwound and many others during its decade-long run. Soriano found the young men’s request corny and suffering from a lack of creativity that would make a normie blush. More importantly, Soriano foresaw chaos in the future of the small ramshackle spot—located behind and above Time Tested Books—should he fulfill the wishes of the crusty goons. But an idea germinated in Soriano’s mind, and soon he gave way. The young men could have their show, but not without a set of unique stipulations that would snowball for the next two decades and come to define the nature of the 20-plusyear project. Rule No. 1: “It wouldn’t happen on Halloween,” recalls Soriano from the cave that houses his record label in a small corner of the Verge Center for the Arts building. This was for the mostly practical reason of throwing authorities off the scent of the underground operation, with the additional purpose of confounding concertgoers and scrupulous calendar observers alike. It was established: The show wouldn’t be on Halloween proper. To this day, the show is never on Halloween. But a lineup composed entirely of cover bands playing on any day other

“the secret show” continued on page 18

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“The secreT shoW” continued from page 17

than Halloween at any place other than a casino makes for a time that is annoying for some, while ensuring secondhand embarrassment for others. Soriano’s next stipulation was also a solution. Rule No. 2: “There had to be a theme,” Soriano cemented. The theme supplied the glue needed to bind the performers in a single purpose, while allowing the spirit of the holiday to permeate the skeleton of the event. At the time, Soriano and Co. were all into punk rock, so the theme was selected with the edge of Occam’s razor: “Punk.” But the most important rule of all is the third: No more than two people in an existing band can perform together. This rule pushed people to step out of their friend circles and, as a result, created lasting friendships among many of the participants who would continue crafting the show for decades to come. Under these circumstances, the young punks now had their “Halloween” show. Soriano set to filling the bill. A rudimentary screening process was established: Find Soriano, walk up to him, let him know which band you want to emulate, and he would give you a yes or no, right then and there. The show was organized by word of mouth and the date was set. It was dubbed “The Loft Halloween Show,” but eventually the venue’s name would fall off the show’s moniker like a set of burned-out neon letters. By the time the process was done, eight bands were slated to perform. Black Flag, Germs and the Damned all played, but memory is murky for everyone involved now, more than two decades later. The first Halloween Show happened in December 1994 at the Loft.

the underground peeks above ground Mystery would continue to surround the Halloween Show’s yearly wellspring among Sacramento’s musicians and artists. There was no Friendster, no Facebook, no social media whatsoever to help information travel quickly. The ’90s appear medieval in this way, uncomplicated and distant from the dismal digital world we inhabit. “New Wave” and “Metal” followed “Punk.” Doppelgangers of the Talking Heads and the Go-Go’s performed at the former; while analogues of King Diamond and Marilyn Manson were among the players at the latter. “Metal” is seen as the most disastrous year. Some solos are hard to play. Regardless, a Halloween Show was a success if there were plenty of laughs and camaraderie among the growing community. The metric has never been an exhibition of masturbatory chops. For the masochists who desire to access that rung of hell, it can easily be found on any afternoon at your local Guitar Center. It wasn’t until 1997 that “Junkies” established a more versatile theme. The broader scope became an essential

SN&R

03.23.17

component to the show’s yearly reimagining. Now, no performer was beholden to a singular sonic palette. Previously, the genre-specific themes allowed for the performances to stay musically similar throughout, but were ultimately limiting to creativity outside of the songs alone. The open theme opened the third eye of the event: “Some guys did Lou Reed,” Soriano says. “It wasn’t just one guy being Lou Reed, it was four guys being Lou Reed; each one from a different time period of Lou Reed.” The show would solidify its unpredictability with the open theme, as more and more performers sought to push aesthetic limits. “[The Four Eyes] were most excited about the fact that we could perform as GG Allin,” recalls Joel Goulet of his first Halloween Show. He broke the third rule: The Four Eyes are a three-piece punk band from Sacramento. “We had a fascination with GG Allin, as everyone does.” Goulet struggles to set the scene with his vague recollections, but he recalls a creep mustache, maybe some aviators and an American flag tied around his waist and wrapped to resemble underwear or a diaper. “I had some chocolate pudding that I was going to do a poop joke with,” Goulet says, “but by golly the chocolate pudding was in the back of a truck that left the show before we performed, so I never got to do the poop joke.” Probably a diaper. Goulet didn’t get to test the scatological waters of a GG Allin performance to the fullest that evening, but it serves to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Six Halloween shows were held at the Loft before it shuttered around 2001 due to burnout, the rapid gentrification of Midtown and not wanting to fight an uphill battle with the city to gain a permit. But the Halloween Show did not die when the Loft closed its doors.

then, the punks put on ties After the Loft years, the show would go on to inhabit other settings—an underground venue in the guise of a cafe, a couple of attics from Midtown to Oak Park, a basement and a repurposed show space next to an auto shop—but each one would house the pandemonium only briefly. “We’ve always done this show at a venue that is not truly a venue, because this town, as far as I can

“My first impressions were, ‘Wow, what a shitshow. This is chaos.’” Drew Walker Sacramento muSician

see, doesn’t support [performance spaces],” says Allen Maxwell, a participant since 1997. “But those that are artistic will come together and make an extraordinary thing happen without the help of the people in charge of the money. It’s done by breaking the rules. We are going to do this regardless.” But time demands change of everything and everyone. And underground venues in Sacramento tend to pop up and recede quicker than whack-a-mole. As punks grow up, they trade in their studded jackets for button ups, their butt flaps for khakis, their middlefingers at the man for handshakes with the man at job interviews. As the various organizers of the show aged and gained responsibilities, so did their ongoing project. The Halloween Show changed rapidly as it matured. The show had been free to anyone who wanted to watch or perform until it was held at a venue unassociated with anyone involved in the show. At The Hub, a paltry $5 got you entry. Bands would also pay the admission fee. What money was made went to pay for the rental of the space and what was left over was given to charity. During the first year at The Hub in 2010, after paying venue rental costs, excess cash was donated to the Haiti hurricane relief fund; the following year, the remaining cash went to the local food bank. “It’s way less punk,” says Guphy Gustafson, organizer and participant of the show since 1995. “It’s more commercial. It’s eight hours long, which I can’t believe seems sustainable.” (Full disclosure: Gustafson occasionally writes for SN&R.) The show hasn’t been free since its residency at The Hub, and ticket prices (now $10) continue to increase. “The Halloween Show during the Loft era was always about friends getting together. It isn’t how it is now; it’s a production. News & Review is writing about it. Maybe a news crew will show up this time,” Soriano laments.

The secreT show you’ve

likely heard of

The reign of The roundTable

Crashing The Clique

Word has been spreading that there is a Halloween Show and that it’s not held on Halloween, and that it’s a show consisting entirely of cover bands, and there are props like puppets, costumes, a theme and months of rehearsals all for 12 minutes or three songs—whichever comes first (rule four). It’s all very confusing to someone who has never been, as if the show was a fever dream co-directed by Christopher Guest and David Lynch. “I once sat in a bar and overheard two women … I’ve never seen discussing the Halloween Show,” recalls Natalie Head, a participant since 1998, “One woman asked the other who set up the show and set the theme; her friend’s response was, ‘I don’t know who they are, just a bunch of old hipsters.’ I laughed my ass off, but that’s who we are.” With more people wanting to attend and needing a venue outside of the underground, it also became apparent that serious organizing was necessary for the first time. A committee, made up of those involved for years, took its namesake from the setting of its first meeting: a Round Table Pizza. The Roundtable has set the rules for the last several years of the Halloween Show. They secure a venue, commission food trucks, establish a date, delegate tasks, hire security and hammer away at possible themes. Notice of the Halloween Show isn’t spread through word of mouth any longer; there’s a blog for that now. When the theme is settled, the blog is updated, a date is announced and, soon after that, a theme is also revealed. The link is shared on Facebook, but no event invite is ever created. Trump won’t tweet about it. “Usually we are up to about 50 bands within the first minute,” Head says. The excitement of those hoping to enroll their bands simultaneously is akin to watching the Three Stooges trying to go through the same door at the same time. But the number of bands never eclipses what can actually be accommodated. No matter the number, it’ll be whittled down to a manageable sum. The blog has also introduced new people to the fold.

It wasn’t until 2013, when the Halloween Show was held at the venue and gallery Sol Collective, that the show grew its current veneer as a pseudo-legitimate, albeit small-scale, music festival. A couple of food trucks occupy the space outside. A backstage of sorts now exists. A makeshift dressing room is commandeered by performers tuning guitars, applying makeup, perfecting accents, tailoring costumes and adjusting genitals in uncomfortable spandex underwear. For the first time, an actual stage awaits. The time at Sol Collective, at which “Soundtracks” and “Tragedy” came to pass, would also mark the introduction of some new figures that would go on to further shape the project. Drew Walker is among the fresh arrivals to the Roundtable and a contributing sound engineer for the last two Halloween Shows, which have taken place at the Verge Center for the Arts. “My first impressions were, ‘Wow, what a shitshow. This is chaos,’” recalls Walker, a musician and sound engineer. “It was definitely loosely organized. I remember it sounding like crap and wanting so bad to fix it.” The scrappy quality of the show has never deterred the devoted attendees. Much of the show’s insularity derives from its performers being such die-hard patrons since their first experience. “My entire life after 25 is completely shaped by my decision to come check out the show,” Head says. She went to her first Halloween Show after having made the trip from the state of Washington with a friend. A few months later, she packed her belongings and moved to Sacramento, marked by witnessing the power of what this community built. But this dedication has ushered along with it a divisiveness felt by more and more people introduced to the show. “My main complaint about the whole show is that it’s really cliquey,” Walker says. “Every year, the same people who know to camp on the blog get to play.”

“the secret show” continued on page 21

03.23.17 | SN&R | 19

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The secreT show you’ve

“there’s a lot of things that have changed with the halloween show that have nothing to do with the show and everything to do with the culture that we live in.” Scott Soriano Scott Soriano head of S-S and Sol re Sol recordS

likely heard of

“the secret show” continued from page 19

But an event with no owner is open to influence. The Halloween Show will continue to change—much to the annoyance of its long line of showrunners. And, indeed, many would rather the event wasn’t written about. The show’s current organizer, Matt Sutton, asked that an article not been written. And, if it was to be written, that it focus on the feeling that many of the participants experience the following day, rather than during the buildup a month prior. The lead-up to the event is often riddled with criticism of the show, the theme, the Roundtable and various other low-stakes dramas. The feeling of the day after is one still coated in the residue of having reached a collective orgasmic peak by night’s end. It feels magical to the performers and audience members. Ultimately, Sutton believed that the show could receive proper documentation only through the assistance of those most involved. Sutton has been an indispensable architect of the show for several years now. Sutton’s sentiments and concerns regarding its documentation are not without their merit or support. “[The show] comes out of a punk subculture, and it’s self-sustaining,” says Becky Grunewald, participant since 1995 and former Roundtabler. (Full disclosure: Grunewald also writes for SN&R.) “We don’t need publicity to feed it. “Everyone who should know about it already knows about it,” Grunewald continues. “It already feels less intimate and too big.” The death of the Halloween Show has always been coupled with its eventual exposure to the public at large. In recent years, one show was filmed almost in its entirety, and some of the acts are on YouTube. There’s a hashtag every year now so that attendees can upload and cleanly aggregate their Halloween Show videos and photos; the suckpop sound of an Instagram heart marks the moment of diminishing applause. Perhaps paradoxically, it’s being archived publicly. Memory won’t be vague. This year, the Roundtable was conflicted over a documentary that was greenlighted by Sutton, to the frustration of participants on and off the Roundtable; the documentary may be shelved. In other words, this article is an added source of contention among the Halloween Show crowd. “I think it makes it a much more enriching experience to say, ‘Do you remember when …?’ to someone who was involved than to say, ‘Hey, check out this video,’” Soriano says. “There’s a lot of things that have changed with the Halloween Show that have nothing to do with the show and everything to do with the culture that we live in and how we access memory.”

Snowballing onward The Halloween Show has continually died. It suffered its first death after money began to exchange hands; once more when the venues were no longer underground; and yet again, when the Roundtable colored the event with a deeper shade of exclusion and exclusivity. But the Halloween Show dies as a star does: Its mass and energy cause it to explode into a supernova, its stardust creating new directions for new life. It’s unlikely the show will scale back into the shadows of its original obscurity. The future of the Halloween Show has always been uncertain. But the future is not unthinkable. There’s momentum. Namely because Walker has a vision. “Eventually I want it to be 6,000 tickets sold; 800 musicians involved; 80 bands, have it booked at the Memorial Auditorium, have it be a two-day-long marathon and have the national news there,” Walker says. “This isn’t about punk rock house shows anymore; this is involved with nonprofits and large galleries.” Walker’s air castle, while elephantine, isn’t impossible. The direction, while appearing to ignore the wishes of the Roundtable, is more realistically about Walker’s desire to “have it be something Sacramento created and nurtured into a big-ass deal” for everyone to see. The event finds itself in larger and larger venues— from basements to the nationally recognized Verge Center for the Arts—despite the best efforts of its hermetic organizers throughout the years. In other words, the ouroboros is getting fat. The Halloween Show will only get bigger. The torch will be passed, or it will be snatched. It is inevitable, but that should also be something desired, a hope for the future of this colossal artistic achievement. Still, the Halloween Show dies as it diverges. “I always imagine someday when I am older and grayer, [the Halloween Show] will be back in a tiny room of friends who I don’t even know,” Head says. “But the passion and Sacramento will always be there.” Ω

03.23.17 | SN&R | 21 21

go foR

R e v l i S the

SN&R’s 2017 Sacramento Area Music Award nominees list celebrates 25 years on the local scene by RACHel leIbROCK ra c h e l l @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

It was 1992. Grunge and college rock dominated the airwaves, and Sacramento venues such as the Cattle Club, Old Ironsides, Torch Club and the Press Club hosted the likes of Mumbo Gumbo, the Beer Dawgs, Phallucy and Daisy Spot. That same year, SN&R launched the Sacramento Area Music Award as part of an effort to broaden the paper’s music coverage and, in turn, elevate the scene’s profile. Back then, the awards covered 16 categories, including “Modern Rock,” “Bar Band” and “Blues Musician.” Throughout its 25 years, the awards have continued to honor a diversity of acts, many of which went on to achieve widespread fame: Cake. Deftones. Groovie Ghoulies. DJ Shadow—all past Sammies winners. The categories have evolved, sometimes drastically, alongside Sacramento’s ever-changing tastes and genres. Today there are nearly 30 categories, including “Electronica / Experimental,” “Indie” and “Hardcore / Industrial / Post-Hardcore.” The latest change is one that’s long overdue. Previously, artists and bands that won three Sammie awards were “retired” 22 | SN&R | 03.23.17

to the Hall of Fame and thus ineligible for future nominations. This year, to celebrate the Sammies’ silver anniversary, we’re doing away with that rule. The Hall of Fame still exists— three wins and you’re in—but going forward, it no longer takes the artist out of the running. And, yes, this change applies retroactively to past HOF honorees. One thing that hasn’t changed? The music experts and thousands of local fans who have nominated their favorite artists. That said, it’s time to get to work. Voting is now open for the 2017 Sammies. Check out the artists and stay tuned for the details on upcoming Sammies showcases. Voting ends May 29, and the awards ceremony that features a full night of music is scheduled to take place Thursday, June 15, at Ace of Spades (1417 R Street); tickets are $10. Until then, visit www.sammies.com to show your love for all things local music. Happy voting!

2017 nominees Hall of fame

Apple Z Hans! and the Hot Mess Infamous Swanks

artIst of tHe Year

Chrch: www.facebook.com/chrchdoomca Dog Party: www.facebook.com/dogpartylive Hobo Johnson: www.facebook.com/ hobojohnson94Corolla

Humble Wolf: www.facebook.com/humblewolfmusic Jessica Malone: www.facebook.com/ JessicaMaloneMusic

Rituals of Mine: www.ritualsofmine.com The Scratch Outs: www.facebook.com/ scratch.outs

So Stressed: www.facebook.com/sostressedband Kennedy Wrose: www.facebook.com/ KennedyWrose

Blues artIst

Jette: www.facebook.com/jettemusic Katie Knipp: www.facebook.com/ Katie-Knipp-106564726092866

Matt Rainey and the Dippin’ Sauce: www.mattraineymusic.com

SPRING FLINGS AND PLAYTHINGS See NIGHT&DAY

ichael Ray: www.facebook.com/michaelray916 M Ranell Carpenter Band: www.facebook.com/ ranellcarpenterband

Roharpo A Bluesman: www.facebook.com/ Roharpo

COCKTAILS WITH THE KIDS See DISH

ELECTRONICA / ExPERIMENTAL

D ahlia Fiend: www.facebook.com/dahliafiend Gentlemen Surfer: www.gentlemansurfermusic .com

COUNTRY / AMERICANA / ALT-COUNTRY The Cripple Creek Band: www.thecripplecreekband.com

JonEmery & the Dry County Drinkers: www.jonemerymusic.com/dry-county-drinkers F Street Stompers: www.facebook.com/ FstStompers

The Fryed Brothers Band: http://fryedbrothersband.com

The Golden Cadillacs: www.facebook.com/ The-Golden-Cadillacs-214855169816 Loose Engines: www.reverbnation.com/ looseengines Million Dollar Giveaway: www.facebook.com/ mdgcountry Nickel Slots: www.thenickelslotsmusic.com

Danny Morris & the California Stars: www.thecaliforniastars.com

Pine Street Ramblers: https://pinestreet ramblers.bandzoogle.com

COvER BAND

A pple Z: http://applezband.com The Lucky Seven: http://theluckysevenband

.com

idnight Players: www.midnightplayers.com M Remix: www.reverbnation.com/rpk/remix228 Skid Roses: www.skidroses.com Thunder Cover: www.thundercovermusic.com

DEEJAY

D J Billy Lane: www.facebook.com/djbillylane DJ Eddie Z: www.djeddiez.com DJ Epik: www.facebook.com/Djepikone DJ Nocturnal: http://nocturnal916.wixsite.com/ djnocturnal

D J Oasis: www.facebook.com/deejayoasis DJ Larry Rodriguez: www.facebook.com/ flowervato

DJ Roderick Mar Carpio: www.facebook .com/recordclubsacto Sam I Jam: https://soundcloud.com/sam_i_jam

oonmoon: www.facebook.com/noonmoonmusic N Pregnant: www.facebook.com/ PREGNANT-245845248470 Rituals of Mine: www.ritualsofmine.com SpaceWalker: www.facebook.com/ interstellarbeats Sparks Across Darkness: https:// soundcloud.com/sparksacrossdarkness So Much Light: http://somuchlight.net Write Or Die: www.facebook.com/ Writeordieofficial Young Aundee: https://soundcloud.com/ youngaundee

EMCEE

A ye Tee 916: www.facebook.com/ayetee916 Cam: www.facebook.com/camofgenx Chuuwee: www.facebook.com/ChuuweeNCR Mahtie Bush: https://soundcloud.com/ mahtiebush916

Hobo Johnson: www.facebook.com/ hobojohnson94Corolla

Charlie Muscle: www.facebook.com/ CharlieMuscle Mozzy: www.vevo.com/artist/mozzy Optimiztiq: www.optimiztiq.com Paul Willis: https://paulwillis.bandcamp.com The Philharmonik: https://soundcloud.com/ thephilharmonik Kennedy Wrose: www.facebook.com/ KennedyWrose

FOLK / BLUEGRASS

D eep Pools: www.deep-pools.com Honyock: www.facebook.com/Honyockband Hannah Jane Kile: www.facebook.com/ hannahjanekile

Mr. December: www.facebook.com/ Mr-December-164942887175

Jessica Malone: www.facebook.com/ JessicaMaloneMusic

William Mylar: www.mylarville.com/mylarville/ default.asp

SERIOUS HUMOR See COOLHUNTING

D ave Nachmanoff: www.facebook.com/davenach Red Dirt Ruckus: www.facebook.com/ reddirtruckus

S alt Wizard: http://saltwizardmusic.com Sandra Dolores Swanfeldt: www.sandradolores.com

FUNK

HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE BANJO See MUSIC

INDIE

B oy Romeo: https://soundcloud.com/boyromeo The Bottom Feeders: www.facebook.com/ LosTheBottomFeeders

D esario: www.facebook.com/desarioband Flourish: https://flourishmusic.bandcamp.com Ghoul School: https://ghoulschool916.bandcamp.com The Polyorchids: www.facebook.com/

B ig Sticky Mess: http://bigstickymess.com The Bumptet: www.facebook.com/thebumptet Ideateam: www.ideateamband.com Joy and Madness: www.joyandmadness.com Groovincible: http://groovincible.com Hans! and the Hot Mess: www.facebook

polyorchids

.com/hansandthehotmess

Vinnie Guidera & the Dead Birds:

HARD ROCK

Heat of Damage: https://soundcloud.com/ heat-of-damage

ova Sutro: www.facebook.com/novasutro N Roswell: www.roswellrocks.net Some Fear None: www.somefearnone.com Shotgun Sawyer: http://shotgunsawyer.com

HARDCORE / INDUSTRIAL / POST-HARDCORE A larms: http://alarmsca.com Glug: www.reverbnation.com/GLUG Kill the Precedent: www.facebook.com/ killtheprecedent

R ad: www.facebook.com/RAD.Sacto White Knuckle Riot: www.whiteknuckleriot.com xTom Hanx: https://xtomhanx.bandcamp.com

HIP-HOP / RAP

C asual D: www.facebook.com/CasualDMusic Good Samaritans: www.thegoodsamaritans band.com

Hobo Johnson: www.facebook.com/ hobojohnson94Corolla Aka: https://soundcloud.com/akaflockaflamez Optimiztiq: www.facebook.com/beoptimiztiq Paul Willis: https://paulwillis.bandcamp.com The Philharmonik: https://soundcloud.com/ thephilharmonik Soosh*e!: www.facebook.com/hellasoosh Kennedy Wrose: www.facebook.com/ KennedyWrose

Cast your vote now at vote.newsreview.com

Soft Science: www.facebook.com/ softsciencemusic Sunmonks: www.facebook.com/SunMonks Trophii: www.trophiimusic.com Vasas: https://vasas.bandcamp.com https://vgdb.bandcamp.com

JAzz

T he Alex Jenkins Trio: www.alexdrums.net City of Trees Brass Band: www.facebook

.com/CoTBB

Element Brass Band: http://elementbrass band.com

R oss Hammond: www.rosshammond.com Hot City Jazz Band: www.facebook.com/ hotcityjazzband

Jonny Gold Trio: www.facebook.com/ jonnygoldtrio

Peter Petty: www.peterpetty.biz

LIvE PERFORMER

B oy Romeo: https://soundcloud.com/boyromeo Charles Albright: https://soundcloud.com/ charles-albright

Drop Dead Red: www.facebook.com/ dropdeadredmusic

G entleman Surfer: www.gentlemansurfermusic.com Ghostplay: www.facebook.com/ghostplay.music Hobo Johnson: www.facebook.com/ hobojohnson94Corolla

Kill the Precedent: www.facebook.com/ killtheprecedent

R oswell: www.facebook.com/ROSWELLSacramento Kennedy Wrose: www.facebook.com/ KennedyWrose

“SAMMIES” continued on page 25 03.23.17 | SN&R | 23

24 | SN&R | 03.23.17

“SAMMIES” continued from page 23

Metal

B attle Hag: www.facebook.com/battlehag Chrch: www.facebook.com/chrchdoomca Cura Cochino: www.facebook.com/curacochino Graveshadow: www.graveshadow.com Horseneck: www.facebook.com/horseneckmusic The Kennedy Veil: www.facebook.com/

thekennedyveil

otorize: www.facebook.com/motorizeband M (Waning): www.facebook.com/waningband Zeroclient: www.facebook.com/Zeroclient

New artist

B oy Romeo: https://soundcloud.com/boyromeo Casual D: www.facebook.com/CasualDMusic Destroy Boys: http://destroyboys.me Hobo Johnson: www.facebook.com/ hobojohnson94Corolla

Jessica Malone: www.facebook.com/ JessicaMaloneMusic

Sunday School: www.facebook.com/ sundayschoolcanbefun Trinidad Silva: www.facebook.com/trinisilvaband Trophii: www.trophiimusic.com Kennedy Wrose: www.facebook.com/ KennedyWrose Lauren Wakefield: http://laurenwakefieldmusic.com

PoP

Bellygunner: www.facebook.com/

bellygunnermusic

Andrew Castro: www.facebook.com/ AndrewCastroMusic

Drop Dead Red: www.facebook.com/ dropdeadredmusic

Humble Wolf: www.facebook.com/ humblewolfmusic

Todd Morgan & the Emblems: www.toddmorganandtheemblems.com Once an Empire: www.facebook.com/ OnceAnEmpireBand Noirre: www.facebook.com/NoirreOfficial

Producer of the Year

B laqlight: https://soundcloud.com/BLAQLight Joe Johnston: http://puscavern.com John Morris: http://tanglewoodstudios.com Noirre: www.facebook.com/NoirreOfficial The Philharmonik: https://soundcloud.com/ thephilharmonik

Patrick Hills: www.earthtonesacramento.com

Cast your vote now at vote.newsreview.com Pete Rodriguez: www.soundcapaudio.com/ SoundCapAudio/Home.html Ira Skinner: http://goldstandardsounds.com Sean Stack: www.fatcatrecording.com

PuNk / Post-PuNk

Charles Albright: https://soundcloud.com/ charles-albright

T he Croissants: www.thecroissants.com Destroy Boys: http://destroyboys.me Drug Apts: www.drugapts.com Death Party at the Beach: www.facebook .com/deathpartyatthebeach The Enlows: http://enlows.com Garble: www.facebook.com/garbletheband Ghostplay: www.facebook.com/ghostplay.music Little Tents: www.facebook.com/littletents916 The Moans: www.facebook.com/themoans The O’Mulligans: www.facebook.com/ theomulligans Red Pills: www.facebook.com/ Red-Pills-1560138844298761 Slutzville: https://slutzville.bandcamp.com Sneeze Attack: http://sneeze-attack.com Trinidad Silva: www.facebook.com/trinisilvaband Vvomen: https://vvomenband.bandcamp.com

r&B / soul

Cash Campain: www.facebook.com/ CashCampainMusic

James Cavern: www.facebook.com/ JamesCavernMusic Jay King: www.facebook.com/jaykingmusic Joy & Madness: www.facebook.com/ joyandmadness K.O. and Eli: https://www.facebook.com/KoandEli The Nibblers: www.facebook.com/thenibblers Lauren Wakefield: http://laurenwakefieldmusic.com

reggae / JaM

Arden Park Roots: www.facebook.com/ ardenparkroots

Element of Soul: www.facebook.com/ elementofsoul

Island of Black and White: www.facebook .com/islandofblackandwhite San Kazakgascar: www.facebook.com/ sankazakgascar The Scratch Outs: www.facebook.com/scratch.outs Simple Creation: www.facebook.com/ simplecreationband

release of the Year

Brubaker: Brubaker Dog Party: ’Til You’re Mine Ghoul School: Ghoul School EP Ideateam: Moving Still Rituals of Mine: Devoted Roswell: The Arrival Polyorchids: Popgun EP Allyson Seconds: Little World Sneeze Attack: Maxwell LP So Stressed: Please Let Me Know Trophii: Vitamins and Flowers Kennedy Wrose: Abstract Heart

rock

50-Watt Heavy: https://50wattheavy

.bandcamp.com

The Ghost Town Rebellion: http://retroshots.wixsite.com/ghosttownrebellion Hero’s Last Mission: www.facebook.com/ heroslastmission Mondo Deco: http://mondodecomusic.com Monster Treasure: www.facebook.com/ monstertreasure Nmbrsttn: www.facebook.com/nmbrsttn Race to the Bottom: http://www.racetothe bottommusic.com Sunday School: www.facebook.com/ sundayschoolcanbefun Surviving the Era: https://survivingtheera.com Sun Valley Gun Club: http://sunvalleygunclub .com The Usual Haunts: http://www.usualhaunts.com

rockaBillY

Dyana and the Cherry Kings: www.facebook.com/dyanaandthecherrykings Frankie and the Defenders: www.facebook .com/frankieandthedefenders Infamous Swanks: www.facebook.com/ theinfamousswanks

J enny Lynn and Her Real Gone Daddies: www.reverbnation.com/ jennylynnandherrealgonedaddies Twilight Drifters: www.facebook.com/ thetwilightdrifters

siNger soNgwriter

J ayson Angove: www.jaysonangove.com Andrew Castro: www.facebook.com/ AndrewCastroMusic

James Cavern: www.facebook.com/ JamesCavernMusic

Jessica Malone: www.facebook.com/ JessicaMaloneMusic

Rebecca Peters: www.facebook.com/ Rebeccapetersmusic

A llyson Seconds: www.beehivesound.com Kevin Seconds: www.kevinseconds.org Sandra Dolores Swanfeldt: www.sandradolores.com

Lauren Wakefield: http://laurenwakefieldmusic.com

teeN

C resca: www.facebook.com/crescaband Destroy Boys: http://destroyboys.me Heat of Damage: www.heatofdamage.com Short Trip: www.facebook.com/shortripband Bootlegs: www.facebook.com/bootlegsrok Urd-om: www.facebook.com/urdom

triBute BaNd

Cash Prophets: www.facebook.com/ GospelaccordingtoJohnnyCash

eartless: http://heartlesstributeband.com H Just Like Heaven: www.facebook.com/ Just-Like-Heaven-Ultimate-Tribute-to-theCure-1725143631038149 Stellar: www.facebook.com/stellartributeband Steelin’ Dan: www.steelindan.com Super Huey: www.facebook.com/SuperHueyLive

world Music

D inorah: www.dinorahmusic.com Mentes Diferentes: www.facebook.com/ MentesDiferentes916

ne Eyed Reilly: www.1eyedreilly.com O San Kazakgascar: www.facebook.com/ sankazakgascar

S ol Peligro: http://solpeligro.com World Hood: www.facebook.com/worldhoodband Yolo Mambo: www.facebook.com/yolo.mambo Zorelli: www.zorellimusic.com

vote now ! s d n e t i e r befo

05.29.17

03.23.17 | SN&R | 25

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EASE INTO

SPRING

ongratulations. You made it through those epic weeks of rain. You survived the flu. And now, you can officially put that winter coat away because it’s finally spring, y’all. Can you feel the symbolism in the air? This transitional time is a prime opportunity to think about all things rebirth, renewal and growth. That’s essentially the theme of Grow: Poetry at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, at Sol Collective (2574 21st Street). Emcee Paul Willis will host this evening with performances by local poets—expect thought-provoking stories and frank conversations about difficult issues. The cover costs $5. Find more details at www.facebook.com/solcollective. The concept of growth will be addressed again on Saturday, March 25, at ode to earth, a performance and visual arts showcase exploring the ways artists connect with nature. Doors at the CLARA Auditorium (2420 N Street) will open at 7 p.m. with a $10 suggested donation. More at www.facebook. com/events/702109379946492. Take your reflections to the next level with a special restorative yoga class, specifically focused on easing into the shift in seasons. Avoid spring fever by practicing balance at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at It’s All Yoga (2405 21st Street). Get $30 tickets for this two-hour class at www.itsallyoga.com. And what better way to truly contemplate these ideas than by getting your hands into some real plant matter? Join local floral designer Cheryl Keech and the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society for a one-off wreath designing class, where you’ll learn how to craft a cute wall hanging out of succulents. Basic supplies will be provided, but you’ll need to either bring your own trimmings from your garden or buy some at the otherwise free class, which takes place at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 27, at Shepard Garden and Arts Center (3330 McKinley Boulevard). To learn more about the group, visit www.sacramentocss.org.

—JAneLLe BITKeR

IllustratIon by Margaret larkIn

ruPaul’s Drag race premiere

Marble Mania FRIDAY, MARCH 24 Name three games you can play with marbles. Don’t feel bad if you can’t. Instead, use that energy to get yourself to Gifts from the Heart of Elk Grove on Friday. They’ll be teaching folks a bunch of new and GaMeS old-timey marble games. You’ll soon be a hit at parties when you whip out your bag of marbles and teach everyone a bunch of fun games. Free; 6:30 p.m. at Gifts from the Heart of Elk Grove, 9685 Elk Grove Florin Road; http://giftsfromthe heartofelkgrove.weebly.com.

—AARon CARnes

Papier-mâché dollmaking workshop

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

sATURDAY, MARCH 25

Come out for a night of drag queen revelry as Badlands hosts the season nine premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Guests are encouraged to arrive early for a chance to meet a number of the ladies from previous and current Drag Race seasons. Immediately DraG following the episode, they’ll roll into the year’s first Badlands Weekend Drag Show. $10; 8 p.m. at Badlands Sacramento, 2003 K Street; www.sacbadlands.com.

In Mexico, during the Revolution, families made toys when buying them wasn’t an option. You can learn more about the art of cuLture papier-mâché while creating your own colorful dolls with a little help from visual artist Ramona Garcia. She’ll offer traditional design techniques and tips on how to tell a story with your characters. $30; 11 a.m. at Sol Collective, 2574 21st Street; www.solcollective.org.

—DAve KeMpA

—LoRY GIL

Peppa Pig Live

Self-defense demo sUnDAY, MARCH 26

WeDnesDAY, MARCH 29

At this introductory seminar on selfdefense, you’ll learn mental, verbal and physical self-defense techniques based on martial arts, but simplified for emergency situations. This class is specifically for cis females and trans people of all genders, as well as those who identify as gender-nonconforming, ages 10 and up. $40 suggested donation; 11 a.m. at FitneSS Dragon Fire Martial Arts, 5728 Folsom Boulevard, Suite A; www .facebook.com/sacwomenscouncil.

Fans of this British preschool show will be jazzed to know the producers are taking the fun on the road. Peppa Pig started in 2004 and has become a household name for many families. Regardless of whether you’ve seen the show, expect a theater charming evening with life-sized puppets and new songs that are sure to please the little ones. $29.50-$59.50; 6 p.m. at Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street; http://peppapiglive.com.

—JAneLLe BITKeR

—eDDIe JoRGensen

03.23.17 | SN&R | 27

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IllustratIons by saraH Hansel

Yum, mudbugs Crawfish, firehouse Crawfish Every Louisianan knows what spring means: mudbugs. Crawdads. Crawfish boils out of a gigantic pot in the backyard. To approximate the experience in Sacramento, y’all should order the mini crustaceans (market price, $11.99 per pound) at Firehouse Crawfish. At this Florin joint, try the Thick Blast flavor for a somewhat traditional mix of garlic, butter and Cajun spices; or go hog-wild with the Collision for a delicious train wreck of all six of the other sweet, spicy and tangy seasonings. As ubiquitous Cajun T-shirts explain, just “pinch da tail, suck da head.” 6519 Savings Place; Suite 205; http://sacfhc.com.

—rebeCCa huval

Dessert for breakfast affogato, identity Coffees IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Neat coffee by John Flynn Cool beans: Ryan Harden hopes to open his new cafe (429 12th Street) by late spring “if everything goes right, which it probably won’t.” Until then, the co-owner of Camellia Coffee Roasters says beans can be tasted in the Kenyan—a pale ale made in collaboration with Ruhstaller that’s infused with cold-brewed coffee— or online in an unpretentious breakfast blend from Brazil ($15). He claims that his roasts rival any other Sacramento distributor’s— not a particularly special achievement, according to Harden. “Everybody’s coffee is exactly the same,” said Harden, the head roaster, who left Old Soul Co. “We’re all specialty coffee roasters. We all buy from a lot of the same importers and farms. … [That said], we take coffee

seriously. But I mean, we’re not brain surgeons or rocket scientists. We’re coffee roasters.” Harden wants to appeal to connoisseurs without alienating casual coffee-drinkers. He’ll experiment with darker roasts to re-explore “earthier” flavors that have been overtaken by lighter roasts, which (allegedly) contain fruity, spicy or herby flavors—descriptions Harden can find a bit silly. “Like [some people say], ‘Oh man, this really tastes like blueberries right now,’” he said as an example. “No. It really just tastes like coffee, a neat coffee. It’s good. And that’s it. There’s nothing wrong with making good coffee.” (Still, Camellia’s website says the breakfast blend tastes like “milk chocolate covered peanuts,” which, c’mon.)

Harden’s partner, Robert Watson, managed Insight Coffee Roasters’ Southside Park location before leaving to run Camellia’s business end. At their new shop, they plan to have spectacular Wi-Fi, but to prevent people from “setting up their office,” there will be no plugs. They haven’t nailed down the aesthetic, but pledge it won’t be reclaimed wood—a trend Harden wishes “would die.”

I’ve never understood affogatos for dessert. The last thing I need at night is caffeine. But affogato for breakfast is genius—energy and indulgence to get the day started. Identity Coffees recently introduced a nondairy version ($6) of the Italian classic for its first anniversary: espresso tempered with creamy cashew-milk gelato from Conscious Creamery to soothe your troubled soul. It comes in a shallow bowl instead of the usual glass, making it even more breakfast-y. 1430 28th Street, www.facebook.com/identitycoffees.

—ann Martin rolke

Resist this: Kipp Berdiansky, owner

of the horror-film-themed Donut Madness (2648 Watt Avenue), drew from our terrifying reality to make the “Dough-nald Trump” donut. Served with either a Russian or American flag, the raised doughnut gets filled with a Greek yogurt custard, coated in an orange zest glaze and adorned with a chocolateicing open-mouthed scowl. At the top, Berdiansky sprinkles baked strips of a thin, phyllo-esque dough. “They’re flaky and golden,” he said. “Just like his hair.” Ω

Flexible garnish Parsley Parsley is the oft-neglected garnish you leave behind or forget to use. Eat it, though, and you’ll discover a palate-cleansing herb perfect for adding to sauces and salads. Use it to bulk up pesto before basil is in season or make a chimichurri verde and spread it on grilled fish or chicken. It’s essential to tabbouleh, that Middle Eastern mix of bulgur, veggies and mint. If you’re not a fan of bitter greens, mound flat-leaf parsley on a hot pizza instead. It adds a fresh vegetal note to balance rich cheeses and meats.

—ann Martin rolke

03.23.17 | SN&R | 29

Crayons and cocktails by Ann MArtin rolke

Amaro Bistro & Bar

HHH delicious, down to earth american dining

happy hour! mon - fri

2-6/9-cloSe • cocktailS • draft beer • appS

1100 R Street, (916) 399-4145 http://amarobistrobar.com Meal for one: $20 - $30 Good for: hip parents who want to eat well and take the kids Notable dishes: spaghetti con polpettine, mixed greens, prosciutto pizza

3698 n. freeway Blvd. • Sacramento, ca • 916-419-8100 9105 w stockton Blvd. • elk Grove, ca • 916-684-8978 THE

Thai Food & gluten free options

ON T

1110 T Street

www.TheCoconutThai.com 916.822.4665

Happy Hour 4:30-6pm: $3 Appetizers, House Wine Draft Beers

VOTED #1 BEST THAI FOOD 10 BEERS ON TAP @ COCONUT ON T!

Ye l p . c o m / b i z / t h e - c o c o n u t - o n - t - s a c r a m e n t o 30 | SN&R | 03.23.17

I see them everywhere I go: People eating meals without being interrupted; enjoying cocktails without gulping. Perhaps you have, too. They don’t have kids with them. Those of us with offspring don’t want to be relegated to the Old Spaghetti Factory, though. We want fun drinks and food with flavor—for ourselves and our children (OK, not the booze). Recently, things have started looking up for parents who like to eat well. Amaro Bistro & Bar opened early this year in the Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street. It’s from the Shady Lady Saloon owners Jason Boggs, Alex Origoni and Garrett Van Vleck, with partner Abe Cunningham of Deftones. For their first foray into food with drinks rather than the other way around, they’ve outdone themselves. Amaro didn’t start out as a familyfriendly concept, but Boggs has a young daughter and saw the opportunity to appeal to an underserved population. Hence, the simple but intriguing kid’s menu with a cheeky cartoon of Van Vleck as Captain Amaro. Order the kids the outstanding spaghetti and meatballs ($7) of housemade pasta that makes you understand what al dente really means. The beef and pork meatballs are the same as adults get, with the unusual and alluring addition of lamb. Next, turn your attention to the cocktail menu. It’s deftly designed to include Italian-inspired drinks like the aperitif wine Cocchi Americano. It brings a quinine bitterness and citrus edge to the Drunken

Butterfly ($10), a mix of sweet vermouth, sparkling wine and peach bitters. Tellingly, one of the best starters sounds mundane but tastes exciting. The seasonal mixed greens salad ($7) currently contains julienned bright-pink watermelon radish, candied kumquats, spiced walnuts and shaved fennel tossed with a bright honey-thyme vinaigrette. It highlights all the contrasts of sweet vs. bitter and crunchy vs. soft. Saffron arancini ($9) also make an ideal appetizer to share. Fried risotto balls ooze with fontina cheese and complement a creamy tomato sauce perfumed with saffron. Executive chef Kevin Ritchie and chef de cuisine Del Gibbs oversee the production of all the pastas except the orecchiette, which is prepared from its dried form, and the pizza doughs, including the gluten-free version. The pappardelle Bolognese ($17) may seem scant, but it delivers a rich tangle of toothsome noodles, savory sauce and both beef and pork in the classic style. The only improvement might come from deepening the flavors of onion and garlic. Amaro adds to the field of pizza choices in Sacramento, which have improved onentially in the last 10 years. The 14-inch pies—with chewy American-style crusts versus the cracker-thin Neapolitan style à la Hot Italian—make a plentiful meal for two. While the crusts have great texture, they don’t have a lot of flavor on their own. They’re improved by the toppings. On the prosciutto ($18), salty sheets of cured ham complement sweet caramelized onions, salty olives and melty burrata cheese. A post-oven sprinkling of arugula adds an element of freshness. The vegetariana ($16) forgoes the usually ubiquitous bell peppers in favor of smoky mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and olives with rapini. If Amaro has any weak spots on the menu, they lie mainly with the desserts. Both the cannoli and chocolate hazelnut Bavarian ($8 each) sounded much better than they tasted. Quibbles aside, for such a young restaurant, Amaro hits most of its marks with style. Now that the weather is warming, take advantage of the patio to get the most authentic Italian alfresco experience—kids or no kids. Ω

Amaro hits most of its marks with style.

Creativity passion IS O U R

Taste the cherry blossoms Toast to spring, when cherry blossoms unfurl their pink pedals and chilled cocktails finally taste refreshing. To honor both of these springy things, Shady Lady Saloon will serve Japan-inspired cocktails at the Sakuramento Cherry Blossom Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 23. For one day only, bartender Laura Bruce will put her own spin on a few classics that cost $7 each: The White Blossom mixes gin, lemon juice, sparkling water and—of course—cherry blossom tea syrup. For the whiskey lovers, the Hanami Manhattan also includes vermouth, bitters and—sure as the seasons change—cherry blossom leaf tincture. The Saktail offers its eponymous sake, plus green tea and—you know by now—cherry blossom honey. Proceeds go toward the Hanami Line, a new park along the Sacramento River. Get the details at www.facebook.com/events/624297714431762.

brews

For every $1 spent you get 1 point. Earn points towards free coffee/tea, crepes & more!

Birthday • Wedding • Custom Cakes • Tarts • Buns • Crepes & More 6825 Stockton Blvd #265-270 • Sac, CA • Phone: (916) 662-7733

let it snow Sacramento’s Original Shaved Snow

—Rebecca Huval

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The atmosphere at Broderick Roadhouse is pro-bro, and the menu is meat-centric, what with its lamb and bison burgers. But it’s also vegan-friendly with two dishes that don’t require subtractions or substitutions: the vegan mac ’n’ cheese ($8) and the No Egg Salad Sandwich ($11)—although the latter engenders a quandary of why anyone would want an egg salad sandwich, especially a vegan. My server didn’t recommend it, talking me into a burger with a housemade vegan patty instead. The veggie patty was

soft, sweetish and carrot-dominated, and the mac ’n’ cheese was neither macaroni nor (faux) cheesy, but was smoky penne sprinkled with vegan bacon bits. It’s great that Broderick is vegan-inclusive, but with other restaurants’ excellent similar offerings nearby—such as Nido’s nut burger or the Porch Restaurant and Bar’s seasonal mac and cheese— plant-based diners may try it out of curiosity, but likely won’t return for more. Broderick is at 1820 L Street in Midtown and 319 Sixth Street in West Sacramento.

NewsReview.Com/saCRameNto/CaleNdaR

by SHoka

CheCk out sN&R’s bRaNd New oNliNe CaleNdaR

Pro-bro and pro-vegan

03.23.17 | SN&R | 31

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TAP MAP

Where to find the region’s best craft breWs

Fountainhead Brewing Co. 7 AUBURN

Oak Park Brewing Co. 16

ROCKLIN 99

27 ROSEVILLE

PLACERVILLE

OakParkBrewCo

CITRUS HEIGHTS

SACRAMENTO

9 30

16 17

DAVIS

Track 7 Brewing Co.

FOLSOM

18 2

19 12

3 10 21

RANCHO CORDOVA

Twelve Rounds Brewing

19 5

101 Main St., Roseville 916-774-0505, Mon-Tue 11:30 a.m.9 p.m., Wed-Thu 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Capitol Beer and Tap Room 2

2222 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento 916-922-1745, www.capitolbeer.com Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Curtis Park Market 20

Father Paddy’s Local Irish Public House 6

CAP’s Pizza & Tap House 8760 La Riviera Drive, Ste. A, Sacramento 916-399-4217, Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.11 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

916-983-8277 www.doylespubandtap.com Tue-Thurs 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Sun 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. DoylesPubandTap

1850 Grass Valley Hwy., Ste. C-300, Auburn 530-889-2175 www.finalgravitybeer.com Tue-Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.

FG Roseville

FinalGravityRoseville

Placerville Public House 11

KuprosSacto

6601 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento 916-330-3973, Mon-Thurs 11:30 a.m.10 p.m., Fri 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat noon-11 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.

La Riviera Market & Spirits 21

22 23 24 25 26

Crooked Lane Brewing Co.

536 Grass Valley Hwy., Auburn 530-878-5232 www.crookedlanebrewing.com Mon/Wed/Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-9 p.m. CrookedLaneBrewing

CrookedLaneBrew

Fair Oaks Brew Pub 14

7988 California Ave., Fair Oaks 916-241-3108 Mon 3-10 p.m., Wed 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thurs-Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat 9:30 a.m.11 p.m., Sun 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

9331 La Riviera Drive, Sacramento 916-364-8701

Nugget Markets

2703 24th St., Sacramento 916-456-6488 Sun-Mon 8 a.m.-11 p.m. CurtisParkMarket

BREWERIES

Kupros Craft House 1217 21st St., Sacramento 916-440-0401 www.kuproscrafthouse.com Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat 10 a.m.2 a.m., Sun 10 a.m.-midnight

414 Main St., Placerville 530-303-3792, Tue-Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

zpizza and Tap Room

FinalGravityCA

8704 La Riviera Drive, Sacramento 916-573-4782 www.pitchandfiddle.com PitchandFiddle

FinalGravityCA

9205 Sierra College Blvd., Ste. 100, Roseville 916-782-1166 Mon-Wed noon-11 p.m., Thurs-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.

KuprosCraftHouse

32 | SN&R | 03.23.17

FInalGravityAuburn

7040 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights 916-560-3196, Sun-Thurs 4–9p.m., Fri-Sat 4–10:30 p.m.

Doyle’s Pub and Taproom 5 312 E. Bidwell St., Folsom

435 Main St., Woodland 530-668-1044, Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

FinalGravity2.AuburnCA

Cattle Rustlers Steakhouse 4

Pitch and Fiddle

Final Gravity Taproom & Bottleshop

CapitolBeer

866 57th St., Sacramento 916-476-5384, Mon 5-8:30 p.m., Wed 5-9 p.m., Thurs 4-9 p.m., Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

BOTTLE SHOPS

ELK GROVE

TAP ROOMS Bar 101

3747 W. Pacific Ave., Ste. F, Sacramento (Curtis Park) 826 Professor Lane, Ste. 100, Sacramento (Natomas) 916-520-4677(HOPS) www.track7brewing.com Mon-Thurs 3-9 p.m.; Fri-Sun noon-9 p.m. Track7Brewing

3514 Broadway, Sacramento 916-660-2723 www.opbrewco.com Tue-Fri 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat-Sun 11 a.m.-10 p.m. OakParkBrewingCompany

WOODLAND

4621 24th St., Sacramento 916-228-4610 Mon 5–9 p.m., Thurs 5–9 p.m., Fri 3– 10 p.m., Sat 12–10 p.m., Sun 12–9 p.m.

1414 E. Covell Blvd., Davis 530-750-3800, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-11 p.m. 409 Mace Blvd., Davis 530-753-6690, Sun-Sat 7 a.m.-10 p.m. 4500 Post St., El Dorado Hills 916-933-1433, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-11 p.m. 7101 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove 916-226-2626, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-10 p.m. 1040 Florin Road, Sacramento 916-395-2875, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-10 p.m. 771 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville 916-746-7799, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-11 p.m. 2000 Town Center Plaza, West Sacramento 916-375-8700, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-11 p.m. 157 Main St., Woodland 530-662-5479, Sun-Sat 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

RoCo Wine & Spirits 30

2220 Lake Washington Blvd., West Sacramento 916-760-8135 Sun-Thurs 10 a.m.-midnight, Fri-Sat 10 a.m.-2 a.m.

a paid advertising supplement

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Rohit Nayyar is the owner of RoCo Wine & Spirits. Photo by KeN MagRi

A PAssion for the CrAft

GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD TIMES, GREAT BEER

West Sac shop owner goes from beer novice to hop head

4621 24TH STREET

by Ken Magri

is name is Rohit Nayyar, but everyone calls him Ro. He is an unabashed lover of craft beers and the man behind RoCo Wine &

Spirits. About seven years ago, Nayyar opened a traditional liquor store on S. Washington Boulevard in West Sacramento. He confesses that he knew little about craft beer at the time, but it didn’t take long for his customers to usher him into that world. “They kept telling me, ‘Get this beer, get that beer,’” Nayyar says, “sending me on a wild goose chase.” The more he researched craft beer, the more he saw its appeal. He re-tailored his business toward meeting customer requests. If a craft brew was available, he would track it down. Now his store carries over 1,500 beers, and he is a walking encyclopedia of craft brews. He even started growing hops on his family’s farm in Yuba City, supplying more than 80 breweries across Northern California. Knowing the trends guides his decisions on which beers to stock. “Two or three years back, everybody was all about the West Coast IPAs — the hoppier, the better,” he says. “Then, everyone got into the fruit,

the guava and mango IPAs. Then people were trying sours and stouts.” Currently, he says that the murky-colored, hazy IPAs are so popular, breweries can’t make them fast enough. He adds that it’s great to have diversity, as some beer drinkers will settle into their favorite styles while others will continue to explore. “One of the biggest trends that’s come and gone is the 22-ounce … bottles,” Nayyar says. “People are moving over to cans.” Brewers now produce more canned beers because of their packing advantages. “Customers used to think cans were tacky,” he says. “But one advantage is that there is no sunlight going through, like with the bottles. And they are more convenient.” Today, Nayyar is on a mission to convert less adventurous beer drinkers into craft beer lovers. To this goal, he is opening a tap room right inside RoCo Wine & Spirits. “Instead of paying $10 or $12 for a beer that you didn’t like, you go into the taproom and buy an introductory flight,” he says. This will allow customers to ease their way in with a lager, for example, and get into more complex beers. The new tap room will open later this spring.

Sacramento, CA • 916.228.4610

RoCo Wine & Spirits has become the spot for craft beer in West Sacramento.

• Hand Tossed Artisan Pizzas • Self Pour Craft Beer & Wine • Big Screen/Sports 6601 Folsom Blvd. 916.330.3973 • www.ZPIZZA.com 03.23.17 | SN&R | 33

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SN&R’s

Keeping Beer re a l awarD winnEr

GREG’S EXCELLENT RED ALE!

traDitional ingrEDiEnts for livE musiC & EvEnts /ElDoraDoBrEwingCo

spotlight taps Oak park BreWing cO.

track 7

• Race to the Bottom Lavender double IPA

• Gadgeteer IPA Mosaic-Amarillo 2xIPA

• Never the Bride (avail. 3/29) Northeast-inspired double IPA

• Steam Engine IPA Vermont-style IPA

• Tolliver’s Revenge Scottish wee heavy aged on oak whiskey barrels

• Here Comes the Bloom (avail. 3/29) Double IPA

• Hibiscus Saison (avail. 4/1) Hibiscus-infused French saison

STAY FOR THE BEER

OVER 36

Cra Beer TAPS

wood fired pizza

FROM SCRATCH

IT’S TIME FOR

BREWFEST!

Sun-Thurs 11a-11p • Fri-Sat 11a-1a 916-399-4217 • 8760 La Riviera Dr. A • www.CapsPizza.com

OFF

VIP Tickets: $65.00 value

Your Price: $45.50 General Admission Tickets: $45.00 value

Your Price: $31.50 Join us at Raley Field for the 11th annual Raley Field Brewfest! Enjoy over 40 breweries all on the field, featuring some of the region’s best local brews. Kick back with a beer (or two) and enjoy live music all night.

PINTS

& PEDALS SacTown SocialBikes

For availability & to book a seat go to: www.sactownsocialbikes.com 34 | SN&R | 03.23.17

916.968.BIKE (2453)

craft happenings Sunday, March 26

Family Friendly • Billiards • Darts • Games

• Bad Habit (avail. 4/12) Northeast-inspired IPA • Amarillo Adoration (avail. 4/12) Double IPA

6051 EntErprisE Dr. #102, DiamonD springs, Ca • www.ElDoBrEw.Com • 530-558-4188

Come for the Pizza

TAP MAP

The Raley Field Brewfest starts at 6:00 pm and goes until 10:00 pm. The VIP ticket allows early entry (5:00 pm) to the brewfest and access to select brews only available during the VIP period (5:00 - 6:00 pm). This event is 21+. Parking is $10. No outside food, beverage, alcohol, cans, glass or folding chairs will be permitted inside the stadium. Date: Friday, May 12, 2017 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (5:00 PM entry for VIP)

• Track 7 Trivia at Curtis Park, 5-7 p.m. Track 7, 3747 W. Pacific Ave., Ste. F Sacramento

WedneSday , March 29 • Never the Bride can release, 3-9 p.m. Track 7, both locations • Here Comes the Bloom can release, 3-9 p.m. Track 7, both locations

Sunday, april 2 • Track 7 Trivia at Natomas, 5-7 p.m. Track 7, 826 Professor Lane, Ste. 100 Sacramento

WedneSday, april 12 • Bad Habit can release, 3-9 p.m. Track 7, both locations

OngOing eventS • Trivia Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. Final Gravity, 9205 Sierra College Blvd., Roseville • IPA Wednesdays $5/glass of Hoppy beers on draft Final Gravity, 1850 Grass Valley Hwy., Ste. C-300, Auburn • Thirsty Thursdays Select $4 draft beers Final Gravity, 1850 Grass Valley Hwy., Ste. C-300, Auburn • Three Dollar Pint Night – Thursdays Oak Park Brewing Co., 3514 Broadway, Sacramento

FIND OF THE WEEK

Let’s talk about race

Quality chats tHe ransacKed Podcast It’s absurd how many people are making podcasts now. Locally, most are of the interview-a-notableSacramentan variety—and frankly, they aren’t always terribly interesting. One of PodCast the best is also one of the newest: The Ransacked Podcast, which launched in January. So far, the guests are diverse and sometimes unexpected, and Cindy Baker and Isaac Gonzalez prove to be engaging hosts with smart questions and smooth production skills. Most refreshing, they know not to utter “uh huh” and “mmhmm” while their guests are trying to talk. Take a listen at http://ransackedpodcast.com.

—Janelle bitKer

mindfulness on display Wellness oPen House Rise Wellness (7385 Greenhaven Drive, Suite 5) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with an open house on Saturday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It kicks off with yoga classes accompanied by live music, followed by a seminar on feng shui, a tai chi class and a discussion on reiki and energy healing. All Fitness the while, there will be art, henna, massage sessions and food catered by Vibe Health Bar. Did I mention that all of these classes and demos are free? Be well, my friends. http://riseyoga.com.

—Janelle bitKer

Hari Kondabolu The last time Hari Kondabolu (pictured) came through Sacramento, he performed just a couple of sets at the Sacramento Comedy Spot. Now, he’s performing a whopping six sets over the course of four days at Punch Line Sacramento (2100 Arden Way). So, I guess that means he liked Comedy us, right? That previous visit was during an Obama presidency, and even then, Kondabolu’s stand-up painted a dark picture of American politics and society—especially as it relates to race and gender. Now, with our dear leader Donald Trump, I can only imagine how painfully hard Kondabolu’s jokes will hit. Let’s take a moment to run through Kondabolu’s television credentials: Comedy Central, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Show with David Letterman and John Oliver’s New York Standup Show, among others. He’s endorsed by the likes of The New York Times and NPR. And he has a master’s degree in human rights from the London School of Economics. To say Kondabolu’s act is insightful is an understatement. Typically revolving around race and identity issues, it also feels more relevant and important today than ever before. Kondabolu will perform at various times Thursday, March 23, through Sunday, March 26. Tickets cost $22.50-$25, plus Punch Line’s usual two drink minimum. More at www.harikondabolu.com.

—Janelle bitKer

03.23.17 | SN&R | 35

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Review

Now playiNg

Going West

Dark, odd and beautiful by Bev SykeS

“Soft, what light through yonder … oh, wait, wrong play—never mind.”

Guards at the Taj

foul

7 p.m. thursday, 8 p.m. friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. saturday, 2 p.m. sunday, 7 p.m. Wednesday; $28-$38. capital stage, 2215 J street; (916) 995-5464; http://capstage.org. through april 16.

God of Carnage

Those who grew up (or raised kids) locally have likely visited the California Railroad History Museum in Old Sacramento. This production is basically a 90-minute live-action version of this elementary school ritual, staged with professional actors in a snappy neovaudeville style. There are catchy tunes by composer Noah Agruss, incorporating accelerating engine rhythms, hammerslamming work songs and fanfare-like, brassy orchestrations. Sa, Su 1pm and 4pm. Through 4/2. $18$23. B Street Theatre, 2711 B Street; (916) 443-5300; www .bstreettheatre.org. J.H.

Concussed: Four Days in the Dark

In this Yasmina Reza play, two couples meet for a civilized discussion about their young sons. The boys have had a playground scuffle that cost one a couple of teeth. The parents meet to work out their differences and, pleased with how reasonably they are all behaving, one asks “How many parents, when standing up for their children, become infantile themselves?” Audience members soon find out the answer to that question. The script is funny and the performances spellbinding. F, Sa 8pm; Su 2pm. Through 4/1. $15-$20. Wilkerson Theatre, 1723 25th Street; (916) 491-0940; www. resurrectiontheatre .com. B.S.

Jack Gallagher is, first and foremost, a storyteller who can tell a sad story or a funny one and keep audiences enthralled. It’s no surprise then that his new one-man show is funny and touching—and always entertaining. The premise derives from a concussion the comedian suffered after riding his bike when he collided with a car and hit his head. Out of this experience came a stream of reflections on life, love, growing older and parenting. Th, F 8pm;

Sa 5pm and 9pm; Su 2pm; Tu 2pm; W 6:30pm. Through 4/16.

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

short reviews by Jeff hudson and Bev sykes.

fair

gooD

Well-DoNe

5 suBliMe– DoN’t Miss

Photo courtesy of caPital stage

Flying high Humayun (Rajesh Bose) and Babur (Mohammad Shehata) are the 17th-century odd couple: Two imperial guards tasked with guarding the Taj Mahal on the eve of its grand unveiling in 1648. They have a difficult time sticking with the rules in this award-winning one-act by Rajiv Joseph, which debuted off-Broadway in 2015 and is directed for Capital Stage by Jonathan Williams. This is a strange play which begins as something that one fears might drag on and on as the silence between the two men grows. It then turns into comedy as Babur, the goofball of the two, notices the birds singing. There are first titters and then guffaws from the audience as his interest causes Humayun, the regimented one, to let down and enter into a conversation. The story quickly turns dark, as we learn of the brutality of emperor Shah Jahan, who has built the Taj as a monument to his favorite wife following her death, and the unthinkable tasks the two men are expected to perform. The play traces the love of two friends, the extremes to which they are both brought and how their friendship both sustains and ultimately destroys them. What makes Guards at the Taj work so beautifully is the chemistry between the actors. The acting is solid, rich and varied, yet with a gentle sweetness that allows us to better tolerate the brutality that is to come. This will not appeal to all, but is an exceptional work by a proficiently coordinated team of actors, director and technicians. Ω

Despite some uncomfortable times at the Sacramento Ballet—an unhappy board has moved to replace its current co-artistic directors, Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda, effective after next season (see “Bread and ballet roses” on page 11)—the dance company perseveres. “We, the dancers, everybody is committed to put on the same great product as ever,” Cunningham said in a recent interview. This week, the company is flying high. Literally, because the ballet company is set to present Peter Pan this weekend. And Peter— Anthony Cannarella—is the guy who will soar. It’s his first time airborne, and he only just recently got fitted for the harness. Cunningham created this ballet—his 25th world-premiere dance for the company—and first presented it in 2015. That year’s title character hadn’t flown before, either, but the effect was magical. “The first time I flew anybody, I decided to make it as simple as possible,” Cunningham said. “Once you’ve flown Peter through the window, you’ve established that he can fly, so how much more flying do you really need?” Well, a bit more. Still … piece of cake. —Jim Carnes Peter Pan; 7:30 p.m. friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m saturday, 2 p.m. sunday; $45-$78. community center theater, 1301 l street. (916) 808-5181; www.sacballet.org. through March 26.

Jazz Age hands! Photo courtesy of the harris ceNter for the arts

Smooth criminals A touring production of the sexy, darkly satirical musical Chicago—set in the Roaring 1920s, otherwise known as the era of bootleg booze—comes to Folsom this week. Actor Maxwell Caulfield, who played the character Billy Flynn in long-running productions of the show in London and on Broadway, reprises that role. The production, which made its debut in 1975, is based on a 1926 play by the same name and smartly takes on criminal corruption, murder and Jazz Age feminine mystique. The musical’s Bob Fosse choreography still remains a Broadway hallmark. 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 25; $49-$89. Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College, 10 College Parkway in Folsom; (916) 608-6888; www.harriscenter.net.

—Jeff Hudson

03.23.17

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Wilson always trust a man with a mountain of folders.

by Jim Lane

last person she expects (or wants) to see, partly because she’s still a pushover for his peculiar brand of backhanded flattery. After a round of Director Craig Johnson’s Wilson is based on a graphic reunion sex, she delivers a revelation: She didn’t novel by Daniel Clowes (with Clowes himself writing get an abortion; she had the baby and put it up for the screenplay). Clowes is the author of Ghost World, adoption. which was filmed with spectacular success by Terry Hiring a detective, Wilson identifies his Zwigoff in 2001. The liberating, freewheeling unprebiological daughter; her name is Claire (Isabella dictability of Ghost World, unfortunately, is what’s Amara), she lives with her well-to-do adoptive missing from Wilson. family and, the detective volunteers, “could afford to Not that there isn’t some cranky fun along the lose a few pounds.” (One of the movie’s nagging but way. Like Ghost World, Wilson is about a grumpy, oddly endearing gaps is that it never explains how disaffected loner, the difference being that, instead Wilson can afford even this seedy gumshoe, much of a snarky teenage girl, the eponymous antihero of less how he pays rent or buys dog food.) Wilson is a middle-aged divorced curmudgeon Being a “father” is joyous news to Wilson, (Woody Harrelson). Wilson (we never know and he drags the leery Pippi along for an if that’s his first or last name) lives in impromptu family reunion at a mall, a grungy apartment with his dog and where they learn that Claire is as thousands of paperback books, and much a misfit and outcast as they All of the he’s the sort of rambling misanthrope ever were. (Looking at Wilson, who accosts strangers with his unfilClaire mutters, “I always wondered calculated quirks tered tirades against the universe. He how I got this way.”) This motley hold our interest. rages against the world but can’t help clan descends on Pippi’s sister trying to connect with it; he tries to Polly, and the visit leads—alas, too connect but can’t help driving it away. predictably—to disaster, and prison for When his only friend moves away and Wilson as a kidnapper. his father dies, Wilson feels more isolated Johnson fails to smooth out the comicthan ever. A chance meeting with a woman in a strip clumps in Clowes’ script, and the movie’s pet store parking lot (the always welcome Margo last act feels rushed and perfunctory as it drags in Martindale) leads to a sort-of date. Wilson’s lack of an unlikely match for Wilson in the person of his filter sinks the occasion, but not before the woman erstwhile dog-sitter (Judy Greer). Still, all of the uses her smartphone to help him locate his ex-sistercalculated quirks, and Harrelson’s slovenly charm, in-law Polly (Cheryl Hines), and through her his hold our interest against all odds. Ω ex-wife Pippi (Laura Dern), who he says left him 17 years ago, got an abortion and descended into drug abuse and God knows what else. Now Pippi, looking pretty bedraggled (Dern’s lack of star vanity proving commendable), is a steakhouse Poor Fair Good Very excellent waitress trying to rebuild her life. Wilson is the Good

1 2 3 4 5

38 | SN&R | 03.23.17

fiLm CLiPS

Beauty and the Beast

Remakes present a challenge for critics, especially remakes of widely seen films, since the obvious urge is to make insipid apples-to-apples comparisons between the two, rather than judge each movie on its own merits. Bill Condon’s ghastly live-action remake Beauty and the Beast, on the other hand, practically pleads for comparisons to the 1991 Disney animated feature. Rather than reimagining or recontextualizing a Disney chestnut, this new Beauty and the Beast is essentially a scene-for-scene, note-for-note recreation of the cartoon, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken songs and everything. It’s a highgloss recycle job, designed to do nothing more than massage your nostalgia sensors for two interminable hours. The problem for Condon and company is that every single scene in their remake pales in comparison to the animated feature—in every place that Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise’s enchanting animated feature is nimble and magical, this remake is bloated and clumsy. D.B.

Before I Fall

A high-school girl (Zoey Deutch) is killed in an auto accident with her three besties (Halston Sage, Cynthy Wu, Medalion Rahimi), then wakes up to find herself living the last day of her life again—and again and again and again. Ry Russo-Young directs Maria Maggenti’s script (from Lauren Oliver’s young adult novel), and if it sounds familiar, it is: It’s Groundhog Day with teen angst and mean-girl snark instead of comedy. It’s not an advantageous trade, and the movie’s construction and editing are a shade haphazard (the cause of the accident is kept obscure longer than it should be). Still, there are compensations—an attractive cast, crisp cinematography (Michael Fimognari) and a nice pop music soundtrack. If nothing else, the movie will be worth it if it finally makes a star of Deutch; she’s overdue. J.L.

The Belko Experiment

The employees of an American corporation in Colombia find themselves locked in their high-rise building, where an unseen voice orders them to start killing each other; if they don’t, the voice will start killing them itself by means of explosive tracking devices in their brains. Jeez, who comes up with this crap? Well, in this case, it was James Gunn (writer) and Greg McLean (director), and whatever else you may say, they certainly jump into their assignment with alarming enthusiasm. This soulless bloodbath isn’t badly made for what it is—but as always with trash like this (Saw, The Purge), what it is is the problem. The cast is mainly hungry unknowns (John Gallagher Jr., Adria Arjona, etc.), with a couple of “names” thrown in (Tony Goldwyn, John C. McGinley) who apparently needed a quick paycheck. J.L.

BY DANIEL BARNES & JIM LANE

Get Out

It was only a matter of time before the Black Lives Matter movement got its own horror movie. Several documentaries last year tied Black Lives Matter into a larger examination of the American civil rights movement, but no genre provides anxietyexorcising catharsis quite like horror. By their very outlaw nature, horror films can go places other films would never dare—that’s why it’s a shame that most of them never go anywhere at all. Writer-director Jordan Peele’s Get Out, though, is a smart and stylish sociological horror movie with a healthy helping of What We Do in the Shadows-level belly laughs. Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris, a young black man going to meet his white girlfriend’s family for the first time and realizing right away that something is dangerously amiss. Making his directorial debut, Peele manages to continually pique our interest, even when we know where the story is heading. D.B.

“Honey, I’m sorry, but this cactus is too disturbingly small.”

The Sense of an Ending

An elderly watch repairman (Jim Broadbent) receives a puzzling request from the mother of a long-ago girlfriend, one that leads him to reconnect with her (Charlotte Rampling) and to re-examine their history in flashback (where they are played by Billy Howie and Freya Mavor, and her mother by Emily Mortimer). He reassesses as well his present relationship with his ex-wife (Harriet Walter) and daughter (Michelle Dockery). Adapted by Nick Payne from Julian Barnes’ novel and directed at a stately crawl by Ritesh Batra, the movie parades its pedigreed cast like waxworks and wears its literary pretensions like a plume. But for all the talent in front of the camera, it’s a dull affair, lifeless, inert and almost exquisitely boring; its supposed revelations don’t add up to much, dramatically or psychologically. J.L.

Kong: Skull Island

In 1973, as the Vietnam War winds down, a party of soldiers and scientists goes off to explore an uncharted Pacific island—but the military leader (Samuel L. Jackson) doesn’t know that the civilian leader (John Goodman) is hunting for monsters, including the legendary ape Kong. Put King Kong out of your mind; this is neither sequel nor remake, but a whole new approach to the premise, with passing nods to Heart of Darkness, Jurassic Park, Moby Dick, and a host of other classic and pop culture touchstones. And somehow it all works; there’s the right blend of excitement and humor in the script (by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek Connolly and John Gatins) and Jordan VogtRoberts’ lickety-split direction keeps us on the edge of our seats. Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson make appealing romantic leads. J.L.

Logan

Former X-Man Logan, the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), and the near-senile professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart)—living in squalor in Mexico, hiding from dark forces (led by Richard E. Grant) seeking to bend the race of mutants to their evil will—are forced to help a fugitive mutant child (Dafne Keen) flee to safety. The gloomiest and grisliest of the X-Men franchise is expertly crafted in detail but overlong, dreary and dispiriting as a whole. Rated a hard R for its Grand Guignol violence, in which every decent person meets a bloody and horrible end, the movie has an ugly edge: Keen looks about ten years old, and putting her through these paces amounts to a distasteful kind of kiddie porn. Written and directed by James Mangold as if he’s bored to death with the series—a feeling it’s easy to share. J.L.

with Lily Tomlin, the movie’s chief pleasure—its only one, in fact—is watching MacLaine and Seyfried in action. That alone is enough to make us wish we could overlook Stuart Ross Fink’s smug and smarmy script. But we can’t; it’s just too contrived, at its most banal when it thinks it’s being profound, and it doesn’t add up on any real level. The whole movie is a concerto of squawking false notes. Sometimes the locations don’t even seem to match, as if the company suddenly had to shoot somewhere else (maybe that’s director Mark Pellington’s fault). J.L.

Table 19

A former maid of honor (Anna Kendrick), who withdrew from the wedding party when the bride’s brother (Wyatt Russell) dumped her, winds up sitting at the table reserved for the losers who didn’t have the sense to RSVP their regrets. Writer-director Jeffrey Blitz, working from a story by Mark and Jay Duplass, turns all the overworked wedding-comedy clichés inside out; just when we think we know where a gag will lead, the movie surprises us with a subversive twist we should have seen coming but didn’t. Blitz instills a lurching sweetness to the action that might look amateurish in a different movie, but it works here; like the hapless denizens of that table (Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, June Squibb, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori), we squirm through some awkward moments but in the end we’re glad we came. J.L

The Last Word

A cranky old control freak (Shirley MacLaine) dragoons a journalist (Amanda Seyfried) into preparing her obituary now, while she’s still alive—except that the writer can’t find anybody with anything nice to say about the old battle-ax. Like 2015’s Grandma

03.23.17 | SN&R | 39

The sound of the wind Hannah Mayree returns home with folk music inspired by freewheeling travels by Rebecca Huval

rebeccah@newsreview.com

Photo credit ashleigh castro

earthy foundation for the twinkling of a vintage Rhodes electric piano, glockenspiel bells and a vibraphone. To Mayree, the songs off the debut restore the strength to struggle toward justice. “My music is, it’s a mixture between therapy and introspection,” the artist says. “If we’re all trying to do so much in our lives, not only trying to survive but to, like, better the world, then we need to have healing.” Mayree’s ongoing activism— Some music is meant to be played al fresco. protesting against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, playing a set at the Women’s March on Chico—has been inspired by escapades While hitchhiking across the Southwest, Hannah like driving a truckload of tomatoes. Mayree tried something new on a whim: The musi“Everything that I see right now came here on a cian drove a semi. A trucker hauling tomatoes from truck,” the musician says. “We’re the ones that are Mexico to New York had picked up Mayree, and he the cogs in the wheel making it turn. So how do we was already exhausted. want our role to be?” “I didn’t know how to drive stick shift, so we just Mayree foreshadowed their own role in the switched seats while the truck was driving,” Mayree lighthearted lyrics of “Nose Bleeds”: “First I think says. With a hammy smile, the musician mimes about moving around / then the thought might occur climbing over the trucker’s body, then behind the to settle down / then I think about it for a little while wheel. “It was pretty hilarious.” and I stare at the ground.” That period of staring The thrill-seeking local singer has hitchhiked at the ground has ended. After traveling across the United States—Mayree struggles for years, the singer has posted up in to name uncharted territory in the country Sacramento—for now. where they (Mayree’s preferred “Backpacks are heavy,” pronoun) haven’t been. In the multiMayree explains. instrumentalist’s debut album The artist is building a released in February, Thoughts of community of mutually the Night, Mayree has captured supportive musicians at the breeze of the freeway in home. Mayree also started sprightly whistles and the a free, public singing circle South’s atmospheric rumblings to teach laypeople how to Hannah Mayree in percussive banjo strumming. harmonize and find their own singer-songwriter The artist’s double-tracked vocals voices. accumulate layers of harmonies, One inspiration for this pay-ita choir of breathy voices that sound forward kindness came from hitcheffortlessly rich. hiking. When Mayree and a few friends Though these stylings seem offhand, were traveling through Oregon, a stranger hired Mayree’s clawhammer style of banjo strumming is a limo to drive them straight across the state. deliberate. The instrument might call to mind the “He had daughters kind of our age, and he would fingerpicking heard in (often white) bluegrass music, occasionally blow a bunch of money on people hitchbut it was originally played by black communities in hiking,” Mayree marvels. “I definitely aspire to be Appalachia with a more rhythmic technique. [like] that one day.” Ω “The banjo itself is an inspiration,” the musician

S R A E Y 5 2 G CELEBRATIN

SAMMIES.COM 40 | SN&R | 03.23.17

“The banjo itself is an inspiration.”

says. “I feel like I’m reclaiming the banjo as a black woman, as a black person in general.” In Mayree’s hands, the twangy strings root into the ground with lower, fuller tones. Those calming vibrations, along with the singer’s alto voice, lay an

check out hannah Mayree at 7 p.m. on March 29 at oak Park Brewing co., 3514 Broadway; or at 7 p.m. april 1 at elixart, 408 Broad street in Nevada city. learn more at www.facebook.com/hannahmayree.

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that power—and a demonstration of why good music thrives on an honest reaction to it, not pretentiousness—on March 17 at the Center for The Arts in Grass Valley. For more than 10 years, songwriter, singer and pianist Davina Sowers has employed her Vagabonds, an all-male quartet (with alternates): Connor McRae Hammergren, drums; Steve Rogness, trombone; Daniel Eikmeier, trumpet; and Andrew Foreman, double bass. Adding occasional vocals to their professional-level playing, these fellows are crucial to arranging Davina’s music into steamy, New Orleans-flavored jazz. That said, the ensemble originates from Minnesota, not Louisiana. It’s also hard to fathom that any of them set out knowing exactly how their style would evolve. They’re not trying to elevate jazz or turn it into pastiche; they’re playing music spontaneously, letting a natural chemistry guide them. That hasn’t stopped them from reinforcing the Dixieland sound with showstoppers originally made famous by the likes of Louis Armstrong and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Alongside Davina’s original songs, they also cover songs from R&B, Fats Waller, rock and even Hank Williams. Most importantly, Davina’s vamping and droll humor add something that much of today’s jazz has forgotten. Above all, Davina makes us laugh. In “Start Running,” for example, she sings about chasing away a young rival, turning a “hell-hath-no-fury” situation into a finger-wagging lesson on the realities of life. For the comfortable and moderately attended venue at Grass Valley with room for dancing, Davina’s boogie-woogie-based pianism benefited from an 8-foot Steinway grand piano, as did the accompaniment to her powerful vocals in the Etta James classic “I’d Rather Go Blind.” On the eve of Chuck Berry’s death, their version of “Back to Memphis” was especially memorable. Davina’s own early anthem for turning her life around, “Bee Sting,” still packs its venom—the story of a force of nature that is, as evidenced that night, far from over.

p r o E v E n ts p o st c h a r g E ! of frEE

Beachy beats: The sounds of surf and garage rock rattled the walls of the Red Museum last week, courtesy of Boy Romeo. The three-piece band warmed a crowd of about 50 people bobbing their heads along to the music. With a growing internet presence as Sacramento’s latest musical attraction, Boy Romeo definitely sparked my curiosity. Bassist Adam Jennings is also the drummer behind local groups like doom metal band Chrch and powerviolence band xTom Hanx, so it’s intriguing to hear that he’s laying down popdriven bass lines with a new band that writes musical odes to the rock ’n’ roll sounds of the past. Boy Romeo’s feel-good, ’60s-era sound had the room dancing, some with partners, and the multicolored mood lighting that filled the venue gave off a psychedelic dance party vibe. The band’s vocalist channels Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys in his croons, so when the band performed their rendition of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” everything just clicked musically. It was a fitting tribute. The band’s original music, like its song “Answer,” showcases just how well these three musicians work together. With its catchy vocal harmonies and steady beats courtesy of drummer Patrick Shelley, “Answer” sums up the rock ’n’ roll sounds of Boy Romeo. After their set, Jennings mentioned that the band looks forward to releasing its nine-track album on cassette tape at their next show on April 20 at the Blue Lamp, where they’ll be performing alongside acts like LaTour and Bachelor Paradise. The evening continued with Light Thieves all the way from Fresno, who performed experimental indie rock also heavily laced with psychedelic elements. Gentleman Surfer closed the night with songs from its latest album Reanimate Ore. Its spastic, avant-punk music was a great send-off to the amalgam of genres that rocked the downtown venue.

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23 T HU

25 SAT

Photo courtesy of Vinnie Guidera

Battle Hag

26 SUN

Soft Kill

Ariana Grande

Photo courtesy of Jay unidos

Godstomper

Starlite lounge, 8 p.m., $7-$10

25 SAT

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Battle Hag keeps stomping its way through Sacramento bills, crushing audiences and overloading fog machines everywhere it treads. The local masters of shamanic doom recently wrapped up a debut record over at Earth Tone Studios, and Doom while this set isn’t necessarily to celebrate that, there’s no harm in buying a few extra beers in hyped anticipation of the hypnotic heaviness to come. Bay Area doom freaks Tvsk and Owain, all the way from Tijuana, play as well, along with the local fuzzmeisters in Chrome Ghost. 1517 21st Street, https://battlehag.bandcamp.com.

—anthony Siino

Starlite lounge, 8 p.m., $10

golden 1 Center, 7 p.m., $26.45-$176.45

If Soft Kill’s Heresy album in 2015 was claustrophobic, like being held under in ice water, then last year’s Choke LP was the feeling of air revisiting the lung pouches, that restoration of rapture in life. The Portland post-punk outfit is allowing PoST-PUNK an ounce of bliss into its doomed and disillusioned songwriting. It’s a balance that fits the prescription for salvageable mental health in 2017. If Soft Kill are allowing a sliver of light in, then it might be OK to pair a white T-shirt with those black jeans. Still no to neon. 1517 21st Street, www.facebook.com/softkillportland.

Powerviolence is coming to Sac. Godstomper, consisting of one drummer and one bassist, tickles your eardrum with a blazing fast set of nearly unlistenable songs that will melt your face off. It’s amazing to see how this duo can command a room with the same energy as other bands with twice the members. The bass sound is powered by what can only be described as a buzz saw trapped underwater PowervioleNce with a jet engine. Bring your moshing shoes because you’re not going to be able to sit still when Godstomper starts to play. 3512 Stockton Boulevard, https://godstomper.bandcamp.com.

—Blake gilleSpie

This pop star cut her teeth in the Broadway scene but was soon discovered after PoP being included on the Victorious soundtrack in 2011. As luck would have it, she was quickly scooped up by Republic Records, and the momentum she’s gained since has been nothing short of groundbreaking. Although she is still supporting an album released in mid-2016, Ariana Grande’s current “Dangerous Woman” tour couldn’t have a more apropos moniker. The album spawned several singles to date and debuted at a whopping No. 2 on the Billboard chart. 500 David J Stern Walk, www.arianagrande.com.

—lory gil

—eddie JorgenSen

voted best dance club in sacramento! Kcra stage coach ticket giveaways

at stoney’s every friday night valued at $300 each with b92.5 the bull. horns up!

weDnesDays

college night $2/$3/$4 drinK specials 9-11

thUrsDays

industry night specials $1,000 progressive KaraoKe contest

THIS SATURDAY! “…one of the most rewarding evenings of entertainment I can remember, not just here, but anywhere.” – Jordan Fisher Smith – Author of Nature Noir

14 musicians celebrate the songs and lyrics of Leonard Cohen

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 7:30pm

Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento Tickets $25/$35 • GET TICKETS NOW AT:

877Ǧ987Ǧ6487 • crestsacramento.com 42 | SN&R | 03.23.17

FriDay

b 92.5 country fridays .50 cent beer & $2 jacK special 8-9

satUrDay

country dance saturdays/KaraoKe up front

sUnDay FUnDay

18 & over country dance night

live MuSic

MAR 24 MAR 25 MAR 31 APR 01 APR 07 APR 08 APR 14 APR 15 APR 21 APR 22 APR 28 APR 29 MAY 05 MAY 06 MAY 13 MAY 19 MAY 26

The Bongo Furys Third sTone Blue Mud Folk MaTThew FranTz ChrisTian dewild The Clay dogs JaCoB wesTFall orion Band Broken & Mended sTephen yerkey gyasi ross The Bongo Furys CinCo de Mayo!!! any Big plans? zaCh waTers Band FaCedown zuhg Flyin CowBoy

33 Beers On Draft

friday feb 24th b 92.5 honKy tonK boomboX

Monday Pint night 5-8 PM, trivia @ 6:30 PM taco tuesday $1.25 tacos noon - close Wednesday oPen Mic – sign-uPs @ 7:30 PM

1320 Del paso blvD in olD north sac

101 MAin StReet, RoSeville 916-774-0505 · lunCh/dinner 7 days a week

plus .50 cent beer & $2 jacK from 7-9pm free late night biscuits n gravy

Stoneyinn.com

916.402.2407

Fri & saT 9:30pM - Close 21+

/Bar101roseville

in hypED AnTiCipATiOn OF ThE hypnOTiC hEAvinESS TO COmE.

28 T UE

29 WED

The Orwells

Robert Loud

Casey Chisholm

STRFKR

Ace of SpAdeS, 7 p.m., $21

LowBRAu, 9 p.m., no coveR

The Orwells write pop-driven garage-rock with catchy riffs and fun melodies, but the Chicago-based band is also known to switch gears, and turn up the distortion—and the angst. For the garage-rock vibe, listen to the Orwells’ second album Disgraceland; the song “Who Needs You,” in particular, which carries a heavy influence from the Strokes. But, if GARAGE ROCK it’s more rock than pop you crave, check out the band’s latest, Terrible Human Beings, where it’s front-to-back edgy rock ’n’ roll heard loud and clear in the song “Black Francis.” 1417 R Street, www.theorwells.com.

—Steph RodRiguez

identity coffeeS, 7 p.m., no coveR

Robert Loud’s friendly smile, colorful clothes and fluffy hairdo immediately bring to mind the ’80s synth pop groups that dominated MTV’s early years. The music does, too—to a point. His hooks are as infectious as any new wavers could hope for, ELECTROniC but the crisp production screams house music. It’s bouncy, low-key, high-production dance music, but earnest as are all things ’80s. This will be Loud’s debut solo performance in Sacramento. In fact, he just started his solo career. People may recognize the Utah musician as lead singer for the electropop outfit Fictionist. 1050 20th Street, www.facebook.com/ robertloudrobertloud.

Ace of SpAdeS, 7 p.m., $20

If you are intrigued by Sacramento’s rich experimental music scene but find it inaccessible or don’t know about AmbiEnT the latest underground venue or you’re underage or whatever, consider this show a prime introduction. First of all, you can easily locate it. Second, headliner Casey Chisholm’s decade of songwriting has created an impressive body of work with range and depth: There are quiet ambient instrumentals, baroque experiments in pop and droney electronic soundscapes. This is music to chill to—with an iced latte. Also on the bill: locals Pregnant and Elijah Egbert. 1430 28th Street, www.caseychisholm.com.

STRFKR’s songs bring to mind a musical wandering caravan, full of beautiful misfits who try hard to come off as unaffected but cannot help but to woefully sing of forgotten homelands and misplaced love once their instruments come out. In each song, guitars strum sad soliloquies against would-be jaunty circus tunes that end up sounding forlorn rather than fun. inDiE Think misty-eyed synth-pop that is as ethereal as a beam of light traveling in space, yet still tactile and sugary, like cotton candy handed out by aggressively happy clowns. 1417 R Street, www.strfkr.com

—Amy Bee

—JAneLLe BitkeR

—AARon cARneS

ALL AGES WELCOME!

1417 R Street, Sacramento, 95811 • www.aceofspadessac.com FRIDAY, MARCH 24

CHELSEA GRIN

ICE NINE KILLS – GIDEON - ENTERPRISE EARTH UP IN SMOKE

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

PINK FLOYD LASER SPECTACULAR

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

HEAVY METAL YOGA Experience a yoga class led by some of the city’s best instructor’s (from Solfire and The Yoga Seed Collective), all set to the sounds of the best heavy metal from the 70’s through today. BYOYM

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

THE ORWELLS THE WALTERS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

STRFKR PSYCHIC TWIN

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

LEFTOVER CRACK

STARVING WOLVES - BAD COP BAD COP - SLUTZVILLE

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

THE ENGLISH BEAT SUNDAY, APRIL 2

RED TUESDAY, APRIL 4

MODERATTO THURSDAY, APRIL 6

REBEL SOULJAHZ ELI MAC - RIOTMAKER

COMING

SOON

04/05 04/07 04/08 04/09 04/12 04/13 04/14 04/16 04/17 04/18 04/19 04/20 04/21 04/22 04/24 04/25 04/28-29 05/04 05/05 05/11 05/14 05/16 05/19 05/26 05/27 05/30 05/31 06/03 06/06 06/23 07/11

NF SOLD OUT! The White Buffalo Yuridia Mayday Parade The Damned Tech N9ne Beats Antique El Haragan Y Cia Oh Wonder - 2nd show added Oh Wonder SOLD OUT! Jai Wolf Granger Smith Katchafire Jimmy Eat World SOLD OUT! LANY Kehlani SOLD OUT! Moonshine Bandits D.R.I. Mod Sun Real Friends Enanitos Verdes Blue October Never Shout Never JJ Grey & Mofro Jack Russell’s Great White Twizitid T.I. Somo Poptone Dokken Fat Tire Presents Tour de Fat

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL DIMPLE RECORDS LOCATIONS AND WWW.ACEOFSPADESSAC.COM 03.23.17 | SN&R | 43

thURSday 3/23

FRiday 3/24

SatURday 3/25

SUnday 3/26

Monday-WedneSday 3/27-3/29

#Turntup Thursdays, call for time and cover

RuPaul’s Drag Race premiere, 8pm, no cover

Spectacular Saturdays, call for time and cover

Sunday tea dance and beer bust, call for time and cover

Karaoke, Tu, call for time and cover; Trapicana, 8pm, W, no cover

THE BONGO FURYS, call for time and cover

THIRD STONE BLUE, call for time and cover

KILL THE PRECEDENT, KNIGHTFALL; 9pm, $5

Club klymax all male revue, 8:30pm, call for cover

The Boardwalk

JOURNEY REVISITED, YOUNG BEARD; 8pm, $12

THE LUCKY SEVEN, TONIC ZEPHYR; 8pm, $10

CenTer for The arTs

MONOPHONICS, MICHAEL & THE MACHINES; 8pm, $20-$22

ACHILLES WHEEL, JOE CRAVEN; 8pm, $27-$30

Cooper’s ale works

THE ELECTRIC, WOLF STREET BOYS; call for time, $7

YOUNG HUNTER, AEQUOREA; call for time, $10

Karaoke, Tu, call for time and cover

Sex power freedom book signing party, call for time and cover

Epic house, call for time and cover; Country dancin,’ 7pm, no cover

Every damn Monday, 7pm, M, no cover; Purgatory, 7pm, W, no cover

CATCHAKOALA, 9 pm, $5

THE GOLD SOULS AND STONEBERRY, 9 pm, $5

open mic, 7:30 pm, M, no cover; DJ AAKNUFF, 8pm, W, no cover

Badlands

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790

CheCk ouT sn&r’s Brand new online Calendar newsreview.Com/ saCramenTo/Calendar

List your event!

Bar 101

101 Main St., RoSeville, (916) 774-0505

Blue lamp

1400 alhaMbRa, (916) 455-3400 9426 GReenbacK ln., oRanGevale, (916) 988-9247 314 Main St., GRaSS valley, (530) 274-8384 235 coMMeRcial St., nevada city, (530) 265-0116

Post a free listing on our website, and our editors will consider your event for the print edition of the nightbeat calendar as well. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. online, you may include a full description of your event, a photo and a web link. Simply go to www.newsreview.com/ sacramento/calendar and click on +Add Event.

HD of BEARFACED, 9pm, call for cover

Karaoke, call for time and cover

CounTry CluB saloon 1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

JOYZU, 10pm, no cover

faCes

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

fox & Goose puBliC house 1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

GRAHAM NASH, 8pm, $33-$78

ISLAND OF BLACK AND WHITE, 9pm, call for cover

2007 tayloR Rd., looMiS, (916) 652-4007

disTriCT 30

California live, 9pm, call for cover

CHICKEN & DUMPLING, 8 pm, no cover

DJ MEZ, call for time and cover

Goldfield TradinG posT

NASHVILLE PUSSY, ZEKE, 7pm, M, $15

1603 J St., (916) 476-5076

halfTime Bar and Grill

INNERSOUL, 9pm, $5

MIDNIGHT PLAYERS, 9pm, $7

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693

SAVE FERRIS, VISTA KICKS; 8 pm, $20-$25

BOBS CHILD REUNION SHOW, 10 pm, $10$12; MOUTHS OF BABES, 7 pm, $15

hideaway Bar & Grill

HELLBOUND GLORY, 8pm, call for cover

5681 lonetRee blvd., RocKlin, (916) 626-6366

Karaoke, 7pm, no cover

harlow’s

2565 FRanKlin blvd., (916) 455-1331

hiGhwaTer

1910 Q St., (916) 706-2465

On the low, 10pm, no cover; Swish, 10pm, no cover

No chill, 10pm, no cover

Salty Saturday, 10pm, no cover; Eric & Juan, 10pm, no cover

kupros

ADAM VARONA, 9:30pm, no cover

ADAM BLOCK TRIO, 9:30pm, no cover

HARLEY WHITE TRIO, 9:30pm, no cover

STAN PADILLA, 7pm, call for cover

DAVID HOUSTON & STRING THEORY, DR WAGNER; 8pm, $6

1217 21St St., (916) 440-0401

luna’s Cafe & JuiCe Bar 1414 16th St., (916) 441-3931

iSo m a R o f g N i look hop? S k R o w N o i feRmeNtat ? N w o t e h t N a Night o hot g N i m a e t S a yoga ClaSS?

BEATLES VS. STONES, 8 pm, $20-$25

GUIDANCE BAND, 8pm, Tu, $10; THE BLASTERS, 8 pm W, $15-$18

Heavy Mondays, 10pm M, no cover; Tussle, 10pm, Tu, no cover

Comedy couch, 8pm, W, no cover

CheCk out SN&R’S bRaNd New oNliNe CaleNdaR, a CompReheNSive liSt of what’S happeNiNg eveRy day iN thiS Cool City. EvEnt promotErs: poSt eveNtS fRee of ChaRge!

NewSReview.Com/SaCRameNto/CaleNdaR 44 | SN&R | 03.23.17

tHursDAY 3/23 Midtown Barfly

sAturDAY 3/25

Salsa & bachata, 8:30pm, $8

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

naked lounge downtown

FriDAY 3/24

sunDAY 3/26

MonDAY-WeDnesDAY 3/27-3/29

Factor IX, 9pm, $3-$5

Salsa & bachata, 8:30pm, W, $5

1111 H st., (916) 443-1927

MARY SANDS, CHRISTINE TENCE; 8:30pm, $5

CITYSICK, MALASKA; 8:30pm, $5

old ironsides

ME PRETTY, VASAS; 8PM, $5

ANCIENT SONS, SAD NUMBERS; 9pm, $7 LAS PESADILLAS, TRUCK FIGHT; 8pm, $5

HEATH WILLIAMSON, 5:30 pm, M, no cover; Open mic, 8 pm, W, no cover

on the y

Open Mic, 8pm, no cover

BEERLORDS, RED PILLS; 8pm, $10

Karaoke, 9pm M, no cover

1901 10tH st., (916) 442-3504 670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

Placerville PuBlic house

414 MAin st., PlAcerville, (530) 303-3792

PAMELA JEAN, SCOTTY FRETZ; 7:30pm, no cover

Powerhouse PuB

ROCK STEADY, 10pm, $10

614 sutter st., FolsoM, (916) 355-8586

the Press cluB

High fidelity, 9pm, no cover

shady lady saloon

HOT CITY, 9pm, no cover

2030 P st., (916) 444-7914 1409 r st., (916) 231-9121

sol collective starlite lounge

the torch cluB

904 15tH st., (916) 443-2797

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Save Ferris

RANELL CARPENTER, 1:30pm, no cover SUPER HUEY, 10pm, $10

SHANA MORRISON, 3pm, $10

Pop 40 with DJ LARRY, 9 pm, $5

SUNDAY NIGHT SOUL PARTY, 9 pm, $5

BOCA DO RIO, 9pm, no cover

PETER PETTY, 9pm, no cover

Monday vibes, 9pm M, no cover; IN THE WHALE, RED PILLS; 8pm W, call for cover

HATRIOT, CEMENTARY GATES; 7:30pm, $10-$12

SOFT KILL, GHOSTPLAY; 8pm, $10

SAM RIGGS, 8pm, $15

Karaoke, 9pm, call for cover

X-TRIO, 5pm, no cover; DELTAPHONIC, 9pm, $6

STEPHEN YERKEY, 5:30 pm, no cover; NICK SCHNEBELEN, 8pm, $6

RED’S TRIO, 5:30PM, no cover; DENNIS JONES, 9pm, $8

Blues jam, 4pm, no cover; FRONT THE BAND, 8pm, no cover

BOCA DE RIO, 8pm, Tu, $5; TREVOR HAYES, 9pm, W, $5

Heavy metal yoga, 11am, $25

THE ORWELLS, 7 pm Tu, $21; STRFKR, 7 pm W, $20

1517 21st st., (916) 704-0711 1320 Del PAso BlvD., (916) 927-6023

Jazz night, 8:30pm, W, $5

with Vista Kicks 8pm Friday, $20-$25. Harlow’s Ska

Poetry, 7:30pm, $5

2574 21st st.,

stoney’s rockin rodeo

SWITCHBLADE TRIO, 9pm, no cover

THE BACKSTABBER STABBERS, FEVER DREAMS; 8:30pm, $5

HOLLOW EARTH, 7:30pm, Tu, $10-$12; CROSS STITCHED, 8pm, W, $10-$12

All ages, all the time ace of sPades

1417 r st., (916) 448-3300

Destroy Boys

CHELSEA GRIN, 6 pm, $19

cafe colonial

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, DESTROY BOYS; 8pm, W, $12

3520 stockton BlvD., (916) 736-3520

the colony

WARTRIBE, STORYTELLERS, CLASS SYSTEM; 8pm, $5-$10

GODSTOMPER, I WANNA DIE; 8pm, $5-$7

shine

THE SILENT GAME, BACHELOR PARADISE; 8pm, $6

TRIPLE 7’S, THE TOUCH; 8pm, $7

3512 stockton BlvD., (916) 718-7055 1400 e st., (916) 551-1400

with Death Valley Girls 8pm Wednesday, $12. Cafe Colonial Punk

2708 J Street Sacramento, CA 916.441.4693 www.harlows.com come check out our

NEW LOOK NOW 21+ Fri. March 24

Coming Soon

3/24

save ferris (sold out)

3/28 8pm $10

Guidance Band 3/25 $15 5:30pm

Mouths of BaBes (all ages)

3/29 7pm $15adv

the Blasters clownvis presley

3/25 $10adv 9:30pm

JOURNEY REVISITED

A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JOURNEY Featuring Sacramento’s Frank House with Special Guests Young Beard 9426 Greenback ln. Orangevale, CA 95662

916.988.9247

BoardwalkRocks.com

BoB’s child reunion show

Broken and mended

3/30 7pm $15adv

roGer creaGer

3/26 7pm $20adv

Beatles vs. stones a musical showdown

3/31-4/1 9pm $18adv

tainted love

04/02 Beatles ‘67 04/04 that 1 guy 04/05 yonder mountain string Band 04/06 andy mckee 04/07 the sextones 04/08 choir! choir! choir! 04/09 scott pemberton Band 04/11 mitski 04/12 marco Benevento 04/13 B. dolan 04/14 rutabaga Boogie Band 04/14 wonderbread 5 04/15 Bilal 04/16 dave B 04/17 ab-soul 04/19 roger clyne & the peacemakers 04/21 petty theft 04/23 mike love 04/24 robert ellis 04/25 reverend horton heat (solo)

03.23.17 | SN&R | 45

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

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03.23.17 | SN&R | 47

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@AskJoeyGarcia

Taming the talk

I need help to deal with having a difficult conversation. How can I constructively let my partner know I’m unhappy without turning the conversation into a fight? What trigger words should I avoid when trying to have a difficult conversation? How do I rework my words to avoid being inflammatory? Advice, please! It might help to remember that disagreements between people in love are more common than we think. Research shows most couples have more than 300 arguments per year. Most of these disagreements are not about sex, in-laws or money. The small stuff sets us off. More often than not, it’s bathroom habits: toilet seats left up, a naked toilet roll, the shower or bathtub filthy after use. One partner sees the mess and concludes: I’m not valued, appreciated or loved. Is it true? Probably not, but the seeds of resentment are planted. The problem is that most of us are taught to avoid conflict. We don’t learn how to manage, confront or diffuse it. Thankfully, conflict management is a skill we can learn if we have an open mind, self-awareness and a desire to evolve. Healing must happen inside us before we can resolve problems in a relationship. So find a quiet place to sit and reflect, preferably with a journal and pen. Consider what’s driving your desire to discuss things with your partner. Why do you want to have this convo? It’s easy to believe our reasons are honorable, although sometimes we just want what we want. Those ego inclinations are understandable, but they don’t inspire a harmonious relationship. The kindest path to resolution is to heal your inner conflict before talking to your partner. Discover what’s really motivating you by exploring these questions: Is something in your personal history being triggered? What are your fears about the relationship? How have you contributed to the problem you want to talk about? And, yes, there are definitely phrases to avoid. Don’t use these triggers: (1) “What’s wrong with you?” (It’s shaming your partner.)

(2) “I’m sorry if …” (An apology that isn’t an apology.) (3) “I’m sorry but …” (Another apology that isn’t an apology.) (4) “Why are you getting so upset?” (Don’t denigrate feelings.) (5) “I do everything. You never help.” (All-or-nothing remarks are dishonest.) (6) “It doesn’t matter.” (Why lie?) When your partner opens up, be curious. Listen. Don’t interrupt. Don’t take what you hear personally. He or she is entitled to their opinion. Don’t rush to defend yourself. Trust that you will have a chance to talk, too. When you do, state your feelings, fears and hopes. Stick with “I” statements, like: “I notice I’m getting defensive.” Don’t launch a counterattack on everything your partner said to you. Instead, speak from your heart. Be committed to finding common goals. Remember, conflict resolution is a learning process. Choose to improve your skills. As you do, your relationship, with yourself and your partner, will be happier and more fulfilling.

The small stuff sets us off.

MedITATIon of THe Week “It was a woman who gave you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was a woman who gave you Malcolm X. And, according to the Bible, it was a woman who gave you Jesus. Don’t you ever forget it,” said the singer Janelle Monae. Do you own your power? Joey curates the best love advice from the web at: www.facebook.com/AskJoey-160189114012279.

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review. Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential. Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 1360; or email askjoey@newsreview.com.

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I am scheduled to host my book club on 4/20. While I have the smoke and snacks figured out, I am hoping you can suggest a fun book in which a weed-smoking protagonist is featured. —Michelle Bookworm 420 Smoke, snacks and vivid syntax can make for a great afternoon! You know, it’s kinda funny that there are so few stoner protagonists. I guess it’s because stoners are lazy, noncreative people. We all know alcohol is the writer’s drug of choice. Yes, that was sarcasm. Michael Chabon wrote a book called Telegraph Avenue. As you can imagine, a book set on the border of Berkeley and Oakland has plenty of pot smoking. Robert Anton Wilson’s Illuminatus! Trilogy is chock-full of drugs and deep-state conspiracy theories. Ruby, by Cynthia Bond, is a heavy book full of rich prose, dark themes, violence and troubles. If you are looking for an autobiography laden with good music and great weed, I would suggest Really the Blues by Mezz Mezzrow. Mezzrow was the weed man for a host of musicians, including Louis Armstrong, and he lived a uniquely American life. Oh, and The Dharma Bums, from Jack Kerouac. If you wanna read a book written by someone that uses or has used marijuana, you could look for books from Kerouac, Stephen King, Baudelaire, Carl Sagan, Alexandre Dumas, Spider Robinson and just about every writer from the ’60s. Maybe we should start a cannabis-friendly book club. What would we call it?

We should start a cannabis-friendly book club.

How many different strains exist? How can I know what is what? —Green Horn Millions. OK, thousands. There are literally thousands of different weed strains in the world, and more are being created as you read this column. However, there are some basic things to know. Cannabis generally falls into two types: sativa and indica. There is a third type known as ruderalis, but it doesn’t show up in most commercial gardens. Sativas are the buzzy ones that make you want to do stuff, and indicas are the ones that lock you to the couch and make your thinking kinda fuzzy. Then, of course, there are approximately two kajillion different kinds of hybrid strains. Some are indica-dominant, some lean more to the sativa side, and others are trying to achieve the perfect balance of both types. If you are looking for in-depth details of specific marijuana strains, I suggest Ed Rosenthal’s Big Book Of Buds series, or spending time obsessively browsing Leafly.com. Once you know what to look for, it is fairly easy to guess which strain is which by a combination of smell and effects. Have fun learning! Ω

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

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62 | SN&R | 03.23.17

FRee will aStRology

by John Flynn

by Rob bRezsny

FOR THE WEEk OF MARCH 23, 2017 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Of course you want to

get the best of everything. But that doesn’t mean you should disdain cheap thrills that are more interesting and gratifying than the expensive kind. And of course you enjoy taking risks. But there’s a big difference between gambling that’s spurred by superstitious hunches and gambling rooted in smart research. And of course you’re galvanized by competition. But why fritter away your competitive fire on efforts to impress people? A better use of that fire is to use it to hone your talents and integrity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you own an

untamable animal like a bull, the best way to manage it is to provide a fenced but spacious meadow where it can roam freely. So said famous Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki, using a metaphor to address how we might deal with the unruly beasts in our own psyches. This is excellent advice for you right now, Taurus. I’d hate to see you try to quash or punish your inner wild thing. You need its boisterous power! It will be a fine ally if you can both keep it happy and make it work for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I were to provide a

strict interpretation of the astrological omens, I’d advise you to party hardy and rowdy and strong and often. I’d suggest that you attend a raging bash or convivial festivity once every day. And if that were logistically impossible, I’d advise you to stage your own daily celebrations, hopefully stocked with the most vivacious and stimulating people you can find. But I recognize that this counsel may be too extreme for you to honor. So I will simply invite you to party hardy and rowdy and strong at least twice a week for the next four weeks. It’s the medicine you need.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are on the verge

of achieving a sly victory over the part of you that is unduly meek and passive. I believe that in the coming weeks you will rise up like a resourceful hero and at least half-conquer a chronic fear. A rumbling streak of warrior luck will flow through you, enabling you to kill off any temptation you might have to take the easy way out. Congratulations in advance, my fellow Cancerian! I have rarely seen our tribe have so much power to triumph over our unconscious attraction to the victim role.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo journal entry, Thurs-

day: Am too settled and stale and entrenched. Feeling urges to get cheeky and tousled. Friday: So what if I slept a little longer and arrived late? Who cares if the dishes are piling up in the sink? I hereby refuse law and order. Saturday: I’m fantasizing about doing dirty deeds. I’m thinking about breaking the taboos. Sunday: Found the strangest freshness in a place I didn’t expect to. Sometimes chaos is kind of cute and friendly. Monday: The nagging voice of the taskmaster in my head is gone. Ding-dong. Let freedom ring!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): William Boyd writes

novels, which require him to do copious research about the real-world milieus he wants his fictional characters to inhabit. For example, to ensure the authenticity of his book Waiting for Sunrise, he found out what it was like to live in Vienna in 1913. He compares his process of searching for juicy facts to the feeding habits of a blue whale: engorging huge amounts of seawater to strain out the plankton that are good to eat. Ninety percent of the information he wades through is irrelevant, but the rest is tasty and nourishing. I suspect you’ll thrive on a similar approach in the coming weeks, Virgo. Be patient as you search for what’s useful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When I was 24,

I lived in rural North Carolina and had a job washing dishes in a city four miles away. I was too poor to own a bicycle, let alone a car. To get to work I had to trudge down backroads where hostile dogs and drunk men in pickup trucks roamed freely. Luckily, I discovered the art of psychic protection. At first I simply envisioned a golden force field surrounding me. Later I added visualizations of guardian animals to accompany me: two friendly lions and two sheltering wolves. Maybe it was just the placebo effect, but the experiment worked. My allies made me brave and kept me safe. You’re welcome to borrow them, Scorpio, or conjure up your own version of spirit protectors. You’re not in physical danger, but I suspect you need an extra layer of protection against other people’s bad moods, manipulative ploys and unconscious agendas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m not sug-

gesting you should listen to your heart with rapt attention every waking minute for the next four weeks. I don’t expect you to neglect the insights your mind has to offer. But I would love to see you boost your attunement to the intelligent organ at the center of your chest. You’re going to need its specific type of guidance more than ever in the coming months. And at this particular moment, it is beginning to overflow with wisdom that’s so rich and raw that it could unleash a series of spiritual orgasms.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The empty

space at the end of this sentence has intentionally been left blank. The serene hiatus you just glided through comes to you courtesy of Healing Silence, an ancient form of do-it-yourself therapy. Healing Silence is based on the underappreciated truth that now and then it’s restorative to just shut up and abstain from activity for a while. (As you know, the world is crammed with so much noise and frenzy that it can be hard to hear yourself think—or even feel.) With Healing Silence, you bask in a sanctuary of sweet nothingness for as long as you need to. Please try it sometime soon. Wrap yourself in the luxurious void of Healing Silence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I hope you won’t

feel the need to say any of these things: (1) “I’m sorry I gave you everything I had without making sure you wanted it.” (2) “Will you please just stop asking me to be so real.” (3) “I long for the part of you that you’ll never give me.” Now here are things I hope you will say sometime soon: (1) “I thrived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.” (This declaration is lifted from novelist Joshua Graham.) (2) “I’m having fun, even though it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.” (Borrowed from author C.S. Lewis.) (3) “I’m not searching for who I am. I’m searching for the person I aspire to be.” (Stolen from author Robert Brault.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Are you fantasizing

more about what you don’t have and can’t do than what you do have and can do? If so, please raise the “do have” and “can do” up to at least 51 percent. (Eighty percent would be better.) Have you been harshly critiquing yourself more than you have been gently taking care of yourself? If so, get your self-care level up to at least 51 percent. (Eight-five percent is better.) Are you flirting with a backward type of courage that makes you nervous about what everyone thinks of you and expects from you? If so, I invite you to cultivate a different kind of courage at least 51 percent of the time: courage to do what’s right for you no matter what anyone thinks or expects. (Ninety percent is better.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here’s a new word

for you: enantiodromia. It’s what happens when something turns into its opposite. It’s nature’s attempt to create equilibrium where there has been imbalance. Too much no becomes yes, for example. A superabundance of yin mutates into yang, or an overemphasis on control generates chaos. Flip-flops like these tend to be messy if we resist them, but interesting if we cooperate. I figure that’s your choice right now. Which will it be? The latter, I hope. P.S. The reversals that you consciously co-create may not be perfect. But even if they are baffling, I bet they will also be amusing and magnificent.

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.

Game on After growing up in the Super Nintendo era, Briana Aea let video games drift out of her life as she fashioned herself into a marketingsavvy businesswoman. But at a 2013 networking conference, she met the local, independent developers of Nascent Games and reinvigorated her interest in the childhood hobby that’s now an exploding multibillion dollar industry. An organizer of the Sacramento Indie Arcade—an informational event for those interested in playing or developing games— she hopes to help people see the multitude of benefits of building and exploring digital worlds.

What is the Sacramento Indie Arcade? Going into our fourth year now, people get to come and meet over 40 game development studios, both locally and internationally. There’s gonna be an educational aspect. We have someone from Amazon. We have [Jason Lott] from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Virginia. We have [Michelle Hill] from 2K Games, who makes Mafia 3 and all the NBA games. She’s our keynote speaker. And she’s from Rancho Cordova. We have really no sponsors. So it’s truly an independent movement. It’s for all ages. There’s something for everyone. If you like video game tournaments, retro gaming, virtual reality; it’s all there.

What are some benefits of gaming? With all the tension going on in our world, both locally and abroad, people are forgetting how to relax. There’s games for that. There’s Just Dance, if you want to let loose. There’s games that teach you how to sing. One skill that I’m still learning is patience. I know that back when I was growing up, you couldn’t look up certain codes on how to beat this level. There’s just all sorts of variety that needs to be part of the bigger conversation.

What tip would you give to someone interested in developing a game? It will take time because there’s so many factors: the audio, the voice-over, the programming, the art, the rigging—all of that will come into play. But as long as you have a passion for what you’re creating, everything else will fall into place.

What made video-game streaming such a huge success? It’s so engaging. The audience can help the player make their next decision. A game is almost equivalent to watching a movie with all the technical aspects that go into it.

PHOTO BY GAVIN MCINTYRE

And Twitch streamers get so creative with the plots that they incorporate, and the way that they engage with their viewers. I have found myself watching more online content—whether it’s YouTube gaming or Twitch—than I have regular TV.

(games). The guys have been superinviting, and that’s the impression that we give out at the Indie Arcade. We want it to be inclusive for everyone. Not just one gender or the hardcore gamer or the casual gamer. It’s for everyone.

Could this become a more mainstream source of entertainment?

So it’s not just the South Park kids playing World of Warcraft in the basement?

The impression and the communities that are built—it’s ridiculous. They’re pulling in thousands of views. But how do you monetize that? It kind of saddens me to see that because gaming is supposed to be fun. We don’t want to take away from that essence. I think what they’re going to start doing is one of the owners (of the Sacramento Kings), Andy Miller, owns an eSports team called NRG. So they’re trying to bring that to the Golden 1 Center, so you’re going to see more in-real-life interaction with those types of events, more so than just leaving it to streaming.

Gaming is stereotyped as a male hobby. Is that changing? There’s a lot more positive conversation, a lot more support. For me, at our monthly meetups, I’m, like, one of five girls. And I tell my guys all the time, “Thank you so much for welcoming me and not making it an intimidating situation.” Because it is for females. When I started, my knowledge was very limited. But right now, I’m starting to relearn and re-love everything that I enjoyed about

Right, there’s a balance. I’m a perfect example. I work a serious, business job and then I go home, chill out and pop on the Avengers in my Xbox One.

How soon until the lines between video games and reality start to blur? The Games Developers Conference just happened in San Francisco, and the Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence exhibit has taken over. So, it’s definitely happening. That’s terrifying, though.

Yeah. How broad do you think the impacts of video games could ripple in the future? It all depends on what you want to do. What you want to experience? Where do you want to explore? What do you want to learn? There really is no limit. Ω

The Sacramento Indie Arcade takes place on April 8 at the West Sacramento Community Center. For more information, go to www.indiearcade.org.

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