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Sacramentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S newS & entertainment weekly

Volume 30, iSSue 44

thurSday, february 14, 2019

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02.14.19

contents

February 14, 2019 | Vol. 30, Issue 44

Learn why Cody Raburn gave Macklemore’s grandma a lap dance in this week’s 15 Minutes interview.

editor’s note + letters 04 06 essay streetalk greenlight 15 minutes news feature arts + culture music

07 08 09 10 16 22 25

stage dish calendar capital cannabis guide ask joey

26 28 30 37 46

cover design by sarah hansel

Joanna Kelly Hopkins, Julian Lang, Calvin Maxwell, Greg Meyers, John Parks, Perdea Rich, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Carlton Singleton, Viv Tiqui N&R Publications Editor Michelle Carl N&R Publications Associate Editor Laura Hillen

Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Foon Rhee News Editor Raheem F. Hosseini Managing Editor Mozes Zarate Staff Reporter Scott Thomas Anderson Copy Editor Steph Rodriguez Calendar Editor Maxfield Morris Contributing Editor Rachel Leibrock Editorial Assistant Rachel Mayfield Contributors Daniel Barnes, Ngaio Bealum, Amy Bee, Rob Brezsny, Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Joey Garcia, Kate Gonzales, Becky Grunewald, Howard Hardee, Ashley Hayes-Stone, Jim Lane, Ken Magri, James Raia, Patti Roberts, Shoka, Stephanie Stiavetti, Dylan Svoboda, Bev Sykes, Graham Womack Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard-Arthur Art Directors Sarah Hansel, Maria Ratinova Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Ad Designers Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Contributing Photographers Karlos Rene Ayala, Cam Evans, Ashley Hayes-Stone

Advertising Manager Michael Gelbman Sales & Production Coordinator Skyler Morris Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Kelsi White

Advertising Consultants Taleish Daniels, Mark Kates, Michael Nero, Rodrigo Ramirez

Director of First Impressions/Sweetdeals Coordinator Reid Fowler Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Assistant Lob Dunnica Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Beatriz Aguirre, Rosemarie Beseler, Kimberly Bordenkircher, Mike Cleary, Tom Downing, Marty Fetterley, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg,

N&R Publications Staff Writer/Photographer Anne Stokes

N&R Publications Staff Writer Thea Rood N&R Publications Editorial Assistant Caroline Harvey

Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Traci Hukill, Elizabeth Morabito, Luke Roling, Celeste Worden

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Accounts Receivable Specialist Analie Foland Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

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

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02.14.19 | sn&r | 3

letters

editor’s note

Email to sactolEttErs@nEwsrEviEw.com @SacNewsReview

@SacNewsReview

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voices

Wealthy earned it

A scourge of scooters? by Foon Rhee

“Will this trickle-down work?” by Foon Rhee (editor’s note, January 31): Just because you say it, doesn’t make it true. First off, jobs, paychecks and the economy are doing much better than anything we’ve had the last 12 years. secondly, this is still a country that rewards work. No government handout will ever replace working. Third, your heroes, Mayor Darrell steinberg and Governor Gavin Newsom, are two of the “wealthiest taxpayers” in the city. That goes for all other Kings executives, land developers and Democratic politicians that your paper so loves. if you’re going to be critical of wealth, don’t be hypocritical!

What Sacramento wants: People getting out of for residents without cars or easy access to their cars and using electric scooters for short public transit. The new proposal includes a trips to reduce traffic and greenhouse gases. geographic distribution plan requiring that at What we don’t: The mess that happened in least 20 percent of a company’s scooters be Oakland and San Francisco—scooters blockavailable each morning in “opportunity areas” ing sidewalks, even dumped in Lake Merritt. that include North Sacramento and South Like it or not, motorized scooters are Sacramento, plus an “equity plan” calling for coming to our fair city. The challenge for discounts for poorer customers. officials is to steer them in the right direction. On February 5, the committee voted Writing the rules has already taken months. unanimously to send the revised plan to the Responding to reaction at the November full council, which is expected to consider it 27 meeting of the City Council’s Law and in late March. Legislation Committee, city staffers revised We’ll see whether industry lobbying makes the proposal for the committee to a difference. It already wielded its review on February 5. clout at the state Capitol to get After industry concern rid of a requirement that about fees, the new riders 18 and older wear Like it or not, plan reduced the total helmets. Under state law, projected levy by about riders caught on the motorized scooters $200,000 a year. For sidewalk can face a instance, the fine for $25 fine, plus adminare coming to our fair obstructing sidewalks istrative fees. Also, city. The challenge for was cut from $25 to scooters cannot go $15. The annual fee to faster than 15 mph or officials is to steer pay for additional staff travel on a street with them in the right to monitor companies a posted speed limit of was cut from $156 per more than 35 mph. direction. scooter to $104. Instead of But these laws are a flat fee of $355 per scooter rarely enforced. And a year so the city can provide since e-scooters hit cities in parking, the new plan calls for a force last year, there have been 25-cent per trip fee in the first year and 10 complaints galore. It got so bad in San cents after that. Francisco that the city banned them, then But scooter companies are still not satisrejected Bird, Lime and Spin—the companies fied. Representatives from Bird, Lime and that had behaved badly—when awarding the Razor complained that the annual fees would first permits. total about $400 to $500 per scooter—far While Sacramento is trying to prevent more than other cities—and would be a those problems, committee Chairman Jay “barrier” to them coming to Sacramento. Schenirer said that he’s still concerned about (JUMP, which already has electric bicycles safety. A Midtown resident warned that withall over town, put its first 50 scooters on out strict enforcement, pedestrians will get hit Sacramento’s streets on February 8 under its by scooters. existing permit with the city.) They’re right. Council members wanted to make sure Scooters may well make Sacramento more that e-scooters are widely available—not just hip. The city must make sure they don’t in the central city for tourists and workers, become a nuisance. Ω but also in disadvantaged neighborhoods 4 | sn&r | 02.14.19

Curtis Fry Citr u s H e igh ts / v ia e ma il

fo o nr@ne w s re v i e w . c o m

Design disappointment

Courageous feminists

Re: “Downtown development— Whoa! And yikes!” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, January 31): All such things as mentioned, as anticipated (highly), could amount to a disappointment. everyone involved ought to commit themselves to innovative design quality, particularly within the railyard, the sort that would attract attention across the nation. once achieved, a host of mundane, run-of-the-mill designs would deflate and disappoint future interest in downtown sacramento.

Re: “Thank movement elders” (Letters, January 31): Thank you Dorothy eller for sticking up for the courageous 1970s feminists whose hard work brought about so many desperately needed changes and opened so many doors previously closed to women. i can still recall the pre-feminist days when it was all but impossible for a woman to become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or a U.s. senator; when women were barred from many universities; when a woman could not even get a credit card issued in her own name—a whole catalog of sexist abuses so outrageous that they hardly seem credible today. it was the women’s movement that changed all that. Unfortunately the price of its success is that many young women today take those hard-won rights for granted, and can all too easily be bamboozled into trivializing those feminists and their accomplishments. That “bra-burning” crap is such a lie! Thanks for setting the record straight.

JoHn Crandell s a c r a me nto / v ia e ma il

Supply and demand Re: “Let’s get serious about our war on drugs” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, January 24): Let’s start with the first law of economics: demand creates a supply. so instead of continuing to try and fail to cut off supply, when will we get serious about analyzing the reasons for the demand and taking effective action? Probably not soon, because that would mean calling into question the myth that our culture, governments (local, state and federal), educational system, technologies, etc., are actually based on offering to the poor and middle class the ingredients for a happy life, instead of just increasing GDP and corporate profits. it appears to me that we are living very differently than we are evolved to live, and it’s not working well.

Muriel strand sa c r a me nto / v ia e ma il

david urMan s a c r a me nto / v ia e ma il

Correction Re: “Appetite for the outdoor festival” (Arts & culture, February 7): The names of sol Blume festival organizers Fornati Kumeh and Justin Nordan were misspelled. sN&R regrets the error.

read more letters online at newsreview.com/sacramento.

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Beyond the 100-day challenge Finding housing for 200 homeless youth is only the first step by Shelly hubertuS

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Sacramento’s 100-Day Challenge to Tackle Youth Homelessness came to life when we were selected as one of five communities nationwide to participate in this project, which encourages intensive collaboration and tight deadlines to force innovation and move the needle on youth homelessness. Led by the “boots on the ground” service workers who witness the impact homelessness has on youth, our team set a wildly ambitious goal: House 200 youth in 100 days, with 20 percent of them pregnant or parents and 65 percent experiencing mental health symptoms. From day one, Sacramento’s team began making incredible strides toward our goals. We called the 700 youths on our waiting list to begin building a meaningful list of youths experiencing homelessness. Agencies are sharing information to ensure that when beds become available, we are able to reach a qualified youth immediately. We created an accurate system of counting the youth we house. As Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna recently noted, Sacramento’s homeless system is like a corporation that uses different accounting systems for each product. We don’t know how we’re doing because various agencies don’t exchange data. Once we were able to develop a way to share data confidentially, we were surprised to see how rapidly we moved toward a list of 200 youths. We collaborated to connect youth to permanent supportive housing options that have traditionally been accessed by adults. When providers are at the same table, we are better able to supplement each other’s efforts. These are only some of the victories and lessons we’ve gleaned, and we’re still going. As of Tuesday—day 78 of the challenge—we had reached our goal and found housing for 200 young people.

But this challenge is not solely about counting better. It’s about doing better. We haven’t added a single bed for homeless youths, and recently learned we lost funding for 30 units for households headed by youth, which are currently housing 50 youth and children. Most urgently, we’ve lost some of the few beds we have for young parents, even though a study estimated that 44 percent of young women experiencing homelessness are parents. A 2018 study by Chapin Hall tells us that every additional day of waiting for housing is associated with a 2 percent decrease in a youth’s likelihood of staying in stable housing. Unfortunately, because the “most vulnerable” get priority, that damage is needed in order for youth to qualify for many existing housing options. How do you become vulnerable? Be assaulted. Be sick. Be defeated. Be homeless for 12 months. Be reliant on drugs to endure the nights. Be forced to exchange sex for a night inside. Housing instability doesn’t qualify you for housing, you need trauma first. The team calls upon city, county and system leaders to commit to funding programs that fit the developmental needs of youth. Let’s invest in our youth and design programs that create lasting change. We invite you to meet with our team and listen. Half of chronically homeless adults had their first experience of homelessness as youths. What if we had done something on day one? Ω

Shelly Hubertus is a prevention and intervention coordinator and a team leader for Sacramento’s 100-Day Challenge to Tackle Youth Homelessness.

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While Donald Trump was eating crow, we were eating crab by Jeff vonKaenel

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While President Donald Trump was choking According to polling data, these ideas on his Nancy Pelosi-prepared crow diet, I are extremely popular. Three out of four was eating crab at the sold out annual Sac registered voters support higher taxes on the Central Labor Council Crab Feed, held wealthy. And a Fox News poll last month February 8 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars found that a majority of Republicans support Post 67 on Stockton Boulevard. higher taxes on those making more than $10 Crab is a better meal than crow, especially million a year. crab when served with salad, bread, pasta When an idea has the support of 75 and ice cream. This wonderful meal was percent of Americans, it could prevail, served in large aluminum containers at each despite the millions—if not billions—of table by local Girl Scouts and Placer County dollars that will be spent by the wealthy to Democrats to several hundred union workers, preserve their wealth and power. But it will labor officials and politicians. be a battle, a battle worth fighting. The event, a fundraiser for the Sacramento This reminds me of the campaign to Central Labor Council, started at 5 p.m., increase California’s minimum wage. At the which meant people dropped by after work crab feed, William Reed, local district vice without having to dress up. Delightfully, president of the United Domestic Workers young and old people were talking to of America local that represents homeeach other, instead of looking at care providers, spoke about how their phones. On the concrete many of his members have walls there were AFL-CIO had a 50 percent wage posters with such slogans increase from $8 an hour The 99 percent as “Cut Pharma Not at the beginning of 2014 need to come Grandma,” “Don’t Cut to $12 today because of Our Medicare Budget” the minimum wage hike. together. And we have and “Close Loopholes These people couldn’t a lot to learn from our for Wall Street and the make ends meet if the union brothers and Rich.” minimum wage was still Many of the discus$8 an hour. sisters. sions around the tables The 99 percent need to focused on the new progrescome together. And we have sive Democrats in Congress. a lot to learn from our union For progressives like myself, who brothers and sisters. Organizing is believe that America’s future depends upon done in person. Breaking bread, listening providing jobs with living wages and solvand talking—rather than tweeting and posting ing the ever-increasing problem of income online—are the paths to understanding and inequality, the progressive House Democrats consensus. have been a breath of fresh air. The new progressive Democratic agenda Instead of just opposing more tax cuts for is really just a new version of the progressive the rich, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of union agenda. This message has the potential New York proposes almost doubling the top to excite and unite a wide coalition of income tax rate on the rich; Senator Bernie progressive Democrats, minorities, environSanders has an estate tax proposal; and mentalists, young people and union members. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax might I am looking forward to the February 2021 be the most impressive. Warren proposes a crab dinner. Ω 2 percent tax on assets such as stocks, real estate and art for households worth more than $50 million. Her plan would raise $2.75 trilJeff vonKaenel is the president, CEO and majority owner of lion over a decade from 75,000 households. the News & Review.

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Cody Raburn went from selling cars to stripping clothes—and eventually founded a business. PHOTO BY ASHLEY HAYES-STONE

Hustle and grind It was 2009, Cody Raburn recalls, after a long day selling cars, when he and his buddy Chris went out for drinks to blow off some steam. Raburn was complaining about his job when his friend had an intoxicated epiphany: “We should be strippers!” After he sobered up, Raburn revisited the idea seriously. He auditioned at Gold Club Centerfolds under the nickname “Showtime” and found a new career. Now Raburn runs his own male entertainment company in Sacramento: Showtymes Entertainment. He went from selling cars to touring the world, appearing on Conan and even giving Macklemore’s grandma a lap dance. SN&R chatted with Raburn about the many accomplishments he has under his belt.

How did you get your stage name? When I sold cars, I was like “OK, baby! Here we go, it’s showtime.” Everyone nicknamed me Showtime because I was the life of the party in the dealership … When I auditioned, they were like, “What’s your stage name?” … I was like, “Everyone calls me Showtime.” They were like, “That’s perfect.”

Is it difficult to be in a relationship? I’ve been with the same girl for over six years, and we were able to have a boy in May. I have, like, Cody’s life and Showtyme’s life. So I don’t portray that I have any type of girlfriend on social media because it is a buzzkill for women when their attractive fantasy has a wife and kids.

How much have you made in one night? I made $2,400 in one night doing three parties,

and if you tell a female stripper you made that in one night, she would laugh at you. She would tell you, “Three shows and you only made two grand? That’s a terrible night.” … If you are a new guy, the average is $150 an hour, but hey—it’s $150 an hour.

What was it like your first time performing? I came in and they called up three of us to the stage and they were like, “Alright ladies, one of these guys will be featured next month, you guys pick which one you want to see.” Each guy had 30 seconds on stage; I literally had no idea what I was doing. So I went out there and moved my hips and took my shirt off. I gyrated my hips and used the pole … I was nervous, but once it was over, I won.

What is the craziest thing that’s happened to you while working? I was doing a private party for a group of ladies in their mid-40s. After I was done wrapping up, the lady who hired me was like, “I’m going to get a pack of smokes.” … She was driving crazy to the gas station, and when she gets out to get her smokes, this guy approaches the car. I rolled down the window, and he told me someone just called the cops. Meanwhile, I am dressed like a cop. … My driver then finds us and he tells us there are 13 cop cars down there, and all of sudden we hear “Put your hands up!” … We come out and I explain the whole story, and then they were like, “You are under arrest.” … So I was put in the drunk tank for 6 hours dressed like a cop, and everyone in there got a kick out of it. Ω

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Demonstrators face police officers on K Street in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday. Organizers planned the event in anticipation of the district attorney’s office’s criminal review of the Stephon Clark shooting.

Oscar and Stephon The ghosts of Oscar Grant and Stephon Clark loomed large inside California’s state Capitol last week by Raheem F. hosseini

Oscar Grant was horsing around with a buddy on an Oakland-bound BART train when a fellow passenger mistook their play fighting for a real one between rival gang members and phoned it in, said his uncle. It was barely 2009 as the train lurched into Fruitvale station. Sharing the train car with friends and the mother of his child, Grant thought he was going home. Then things went off the rails. Minutes later, Grant was bleeding out from a BART officer’s bullet in his back. Hours later, shaky cellphone video of the tragic police shooting 10 | SN&R | 02.14.19

were circulating online. Days later, Oakland residents roiled from the horrific novelty of it all—cinema verite of a cop killing someone who looked, lived, laughed like them. Now, a decade later, a similar story is still unfolding 90 miles north, in Sacramento. As the public waits to see whether the Sacramento County district attorney’s office formally charges the two officers who killed Stephon Clark last year, the families of Clark and Grant lobbied for a future in which such deaths don’t occur.

ra he e mh @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

It ‘Started wIth OScar’ Wearing a black fedora and a “California Families United 4 Justice” sweatshirt, Cephus Johnson last week stood with lawmakers and relatives of police shooting victims, including Clark’s, to reassert their case for stricter officer accountability. A similar effort fizzled last year against law enforcement opposition. Johnson, known back home as “Uncle Bobby,” is hoping that Assembly Bill 392 will succeed where its predecessor failed—and

Photo by Karlos rene ayala

add to the legacy of a young man whose killing helped change public perception surrounding the use of force. “We can talk about the Rodney King incident, but really videos didn’t take off at that time,” Johnson told SN&R in December, when AB 392 was already being planned. “However, because of what happened to Oscar and the commuters on the train pulling out their cameras just being appalled at what they were seeing … and then taking [to] social media as an avenue to advertise to the world what they just witnessed … really just brought to light how important lapel cameras and dashcams in police vehicles can become.” The idea to require law enforcement agencies to adopt body-worn cameras “really started with Oscar,” Johnson added. Increased transparency hasn’t increased accountability, however, say the Democratic lawmakers behind AB 392. “Current police accountability laws do not work,” Assemblyman Kevin McCarty of Sacramento, who coauthored the bill, said during last week’s Capitol press conference. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, we know, law enforcement officers

TexTbook example in humaniTy See neWS

homeleSS camp To houSing See neWS

beatS

checkpoinT WalmarT do not cross the line in regards to excessive force. But when the 1 percent happens, we all deserve accountability. And under current law, accountability rarely happens.”

peSSimiSTic abouT Da DeciSion

make a difference. In 2017, peace officers in the state fired their guns or used force resulting in serious injury or death in 707 instances. While officers perceived civilians to be armed in 61 percent of these encounters, weapons were confirmed in only 47 percent. The main reason officers gave for using force was to take someone into custody, which represented 47 percent of these encounters. Overcoming resistance was the second most common reason, at 26 percent.

There is a growing sense of resignation that District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert will absolve the officers who killed Clark, given current state laws and court decisions. More than a dozen demonstrators TranSparency WiThouT gathered at Cathedral Square on Tuesday for an event accounTabiliTy called “We Already Know.” Here’s how organizers At last week’s press conference, Johnson said his described the assembly: nephew would still be alive today if AB 392 had been “#WeAlreadyKnow we will see no accountability on the books then. for the death of Stephon Clark. We knew the moment “He was restrained, cooperative and still was shot when the officers responsible for his death, went back in the back because Officer Mehserle perceived to work. We knew when the city ‘began to meet that he had a gun,” Johnson said. “He had with city leaders’, they were going to give no gun. He was perceived armed and us the wrong decision. We know all of that was his death ticket.” this because there have been count“He was That was also the circumstance less examples of injustice when it for Clark, whom officers believed comes to police terror in this city. perceived armed to be carrying a gun when they Why are we going to wait for a and that was his fired nearly 20 rounds at him in disappointment, when we can start death ticket.” his grandmother’s backyard in to demand justice today. We need Meadowview last March. Police all hands on deck as we together Cephus Johnson later determined that Clark was say, ‘No. This isn’t going to be uncle of Oscar Grant holding a cellphone. business as usual.” While law enforcement agencies Currently, use of force cases are last year blocked Weber and McCarty most often investigated by the officers’ from advancing a similar bill through direct own agencies, and then evaluated for criminal lobbying, this year they’ve switched tactics. The wrongdoing by elected DAs. Sacramento Mayor Peace Officers Research Association of California Darrell Steinberg suggested last week he’d support a announced it will sponsor competing legislation in legislative effort to change this approach. the state Senate to standardize use of force training “The more independent the reviews in other and guidelines. The new strategy suggests that law incidents, the more faith people will have in enforcement groups believe they can’t prevent new whatever the outcome is,” he said during a press use of force laws; the best they can hope to do is conference regarding a state audit of the city’s water them down. Police Department. The reintroduction of a use of force bill comes The bill that McCarty and Assemblywoman months after then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Shirley Weber of San Diego introduced would requiring law enforcement agencies to adopt videomake it somewhat easier to prosecute officers who release policies similar to the one the Sacramento fatally shoot unarmed civilians. Current law allows Police Department ushered in two years ago. But officers to defend their actions based on their families of victims of police violence say transparency perceived threat of danger, whether that threat is without accountability only deepens their sense of real or not. That legal standard has made the prosloss. ecution of officers extremely rare—and convictions “It’s feeding the culture,” said Jamilia Land, a even rarer. friend of the Clark family and member of California “We’re the only family in the state of California Families United 4 Justice coalition. that actually had an officer arrested, charged, By that, she means the footage of people being convicted and sent to jail,” Johnson noted. killed by law enforcement starts to feel exploitative An Oakland jury found former BART officer when there are no consequences for wrongfully taking Johannes Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughsomeone’s life. It’s as if, she and Johnson say, officers ter. He ended up serving one year of a two-year can kill with impunity. sentence. “If we don’t have any accountability measures in AB 392 wouldn’t completely overhaul the place, I don’t care how much the camera and audio paradigm so much as block the officer from using the reveal, it doesn’t mean anything,” Johnson said. “So defense if he or she acted with criminal negligence. of course the community is still pained because we Based on data collected by the California got transparency, but we got no accountability.” Ω Department of Justice, altering the standard could

In its nearly 70-year history, Walmart has added groceries, prescriptions and even on-site oil changes to its discount retail portfolio. Now, at least one store in Sacramento County is adding the airport security experience. On the last week of January, the Folsom Walmart began requiring all customers to have their receipts scanned by a loss prevention officer before leaving the store. SN&R observed the roll-out of this policy on January 28 and 29; on both dates irritated shoppers asked what was going on. On the afternoon of January 29, Walmart public relations specialist Casey Stanley, who works out of the corporate office in Bentonville, Ark., told SN&R he hadn’t heard of any Walmart location implementing such a policy that wasn’t part of the special Sam’s Club division. Six days later, Stanley clarified his earlier statement, saying he learned the policy originated with the regional corporate office to which the Folsom store belongs. “The store is testing some new security measures,” Stanley said February 4. “It has to do with shrinkage. … It’s about making sure that everything is paid for fully, and incorporating new technologies as well.” “Shrinkage,” corporate speak for theft, isn’t common in the suburb. According to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Folsom has the lowest rates of burglary and property crime of any incorporated city in Sacramento County. It also has the second-lowest larceny rate in the county. At the beginning of 2018, Walmart made its biggest push yet to phase out cashiers in favor of automated checkout and app devices, according to a report by Forbes. The company was moving in that direction the year before, when its American Customer Satisfaction Index score dropped a full percentage point. Asked if Walmart’s plan to make customers do the work of checkers played a role in the Folsom store’s new theft concerns, Stanley did not give a direct answer. He did acknowledge that the Folsom store might adjust its policy down the road. “It’s something they’re trying,” he said. “This isn’t necessarily permanent.” (Scott Thomas Anderson)

reTaliaTion raTe Months after five Sacramento County Assessor’s Office employees publicly alleged malfeasance within the office, one confirmed she’s since lost her job. Vicki Korsak, a 63-year-old former associate real property appraiser, was originally slated for a June 12 arbitration hearing following two unpaid suspensions and write-ups that she claims were leveled as retaliation for coming forward (read “Assessed damages,” May 31, 2018). Korsak and four coworkers made numerous allegations, including that former Assessor Kathleen Kelleher received unfairly low property tax bills. This sparked an investigation by a local law firm, which cleared county officials of wrongdoing days before interim Assessor Christina Wynn decisively won re-election. Another employee who came forward, Rick Reeve, said last spring that he and two others, Seth Jarrett-Lee and Tamara Sturgis, were also getting write-ups. The fifth employee, Scott Graves, told SN&R he now works in Nevada County. Korsak confirmed via email she was fired in November. Following SN&R’s article, her hearing was rescheduled to January, though Korsak said she later withdrew her arbitration. “I did not want to subject myself to a flawed system which is blatantly against the employee and denies an employee any legal redress,” she wrote. “The last couple of years have been brutal and injurious to me. … For now, I am resting and recovering. I am still numb.” Korsak added she’d still like to see change at the assessor’s office. A county spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment. Korsak and the others made approximately 77 allegations, with the law firm finding most to be without merit. The county also closed two investigations of its own without conclusions of wrongdoing. (Graham Womack)

02.14.19 | SN&R | 11

From left, Ellen Degeneres, Malala Yousafzai and Harvey Milk will be mentioned in a new textbook that will be used by the Elk Grove Unified School District. Photo illustration by sarah hansel

Can a textbook save lives? Elk Grove debate over grade school curricula hinges on whether it’s easier for kids to bully someone they don’t understand by Sawyer Kemp

After a nine-month review process and several hours of passionate testimony, the Elk Grove school board last week unanimously approved more inclusive history and social sciences curricula for K-8 students. The McGraw-Hill Impact California textbook came under intense public scrutiny because it includes historical and contemporary LGBT figures such as Harvey Milk and Ellen Degeneres, which some parents and community members felt was inappropriate content for elementary school students. The textbooks place these stories alongside the contributions of other 12 | SN&R | 02.14.19

sidelined communities in a more realistic depiction of the state’s history. In a district struggling with a growing bullying problem, the school board was swayed by personal and professional arguments that representation is fundamental to building understanding and respect. The decision to adopt new textbooks, which will go into classrooms in the fall, came from changes in education requirements at the state level. The district’s current materials were adopted in 2007 to comply with a framework established in 2000, and don’t comply

with increased content requirements for history and social science set in 2016. The expanded language of Senate Bill 48 (also known as the FAIR Act) in 2012 added to the existing Education Code, which already required “the inclusion of the contributions of various groups in the history of California and the United States.” The updated language specifically added “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans,” as well as “persons with disabilities.” The staff presented a slide showing more than 100 figures from various identities and ethnic backgrounds in the new materials, including the Navajo Code Talkers, authors Langston Hughes and Laura Ingalls Wilder, astronaut Sally Ride and Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education and youngest ever Nobel laureate. Dawniell Black, the program specialist for history and social studies at Elk Grove Unified School District, detailed the process that led to the recommendation of the McGraw-Hill program over texts from Pearson or National Geographic. After testing potential materials, more than 120 teachers agreed on the McGraw-Hill materials as the more effective program. Their evaluations, along with feedback from more than 180 parents and community members, were passed on to the Social Science Steering Committee and the Curriculum Council, which unanimously favored Impact California. Representatives from LGBT advocacy groups Equality California (a sponsor of the FAIR act) and the Stonewall Democrats of Sacramento also supported the curriculum, though some said it didn’t do enough to highlight the contributions of LGBT figures. Eric Goods, a veteran and Democratic party delegate, advocated for including Martha P. Johnson, an advocate for queer and trans rights who famously threw the first brick at the Stonewall Riot in 1969. But other community members said the materials did not provide the right kinds of inclusivity. The Folsombased religious liberty advocacy group California Family Council was an early opponent. Greg Burt, an Elk Grove parent and council representative, argued at the February 5 meeting that introducing elementary students to LGBT figures is “biased and prejudiced against the views on sexuality that many religious believers in this community have.” Parent Raymond Kemp, highlighting Alexander Leidesdorff, a biracial man who

helped found San Francisco and Folsom, said historical figures should encourage students to “become entrepreneurs, writers … all things that we need in this society.” While he believes LGBT people should be able to live with dignity, Kemp said he doesn’t believe “bedroom business” should be part of the curriculum. One notable contingent of support came from Sikh community members, who said the new textbooks represent a major step forward. Gurprit Singh Hansra said the McGraw-Hill curriculum reflects the long history of Sikhs living in California and helps demystify cultural differences such as the turban. “Fear of the unknown,” he said, “cannot go away unless we educate the people.” Bullying was a clear theme of the evening. In the open forum portion of the meeting, nearly every comment that was not about the textbook issue was a parent or advocate of a student who had experienced intense and escalating bullying on an Elk Grove campus. Members of the LGBT community spoke about their experience with bullying and mental health struggles, and the value of representation in overcoming social obstacles. Nicholas Bua, a science teacher in the Elk Grove school district who identified as both a Christian and a member of the queer community, said the textbooks could help address a systemic issue. “Non-inclusive education leads to a culture of ignorance and hateful comments … that make queer people feel rejected and despised,” Bua said. Board trustee Nancy Chaires Espinoza methodically responded to opponents’ arguments, including the assertion that figures in the textbook were included “only” because of their sexual orientation. “Buried in there is the assumption that these people didn’t have the ability to make contributions to society and I think that’s a symptom of why we need to change the way that we’re teaching history and social science,” she said. “Mere acknowledgment that people exist is not special treatment.” Trustee Bobbie Singh-Allen compared her experience as a SikhAmerican facing bullying and racism to the high rates of LGBT depression and suicide, and the power of representation to combat these issues. “The time is always right to do what is right,” she said. “This is right. The time is today.” Ω

building a

HealtHy

Sacramento

Land Trust aims to be ‘developer for the people’ by Edgar SanchEz Nine new “luxury homes” located on 34th Street in Oak Park recently went on the market. The listing price? More than $500,000 each. A wiser use for land in Oak Park would be affordable housing, according to the Sacramento Community Land Trust, or SacCLT, a volunteer organization that is on its way to becoming a nonprofit “developer for the people.” Its goal is to create more affordable housing in California’s capital, starting in Oak Park, where longtime residents and businesses are being displaced by gentrification. At present, “We are pivoting from planning to doing,” said Katie Valenzuela, co-chair of the SacCLT board, a 35-member group that is actively pursuing nonprofit status. “We are also contacting people interested in selling land to us,” she continued, adding that there are various federal/state grants available for nonprofit advocates of affordable housing. SacCLT will apply for such grants. Some foundations have also expressed interest in funding SacCLT. One of them is The California Endowment, which supports SacCLT’s vision. SacCLT traces its genesis to 2016, when 50 people attended a neighborhood policy forum in South Sacramento. Among the topics that spring day: creation of a community land trust to fight for housing equity.

“Oak Park was a lightning rod of that discussion,” Valenzuela said, noting that the formerly working class, mostly AfricanAmerican neighborhood was then well into gentrification. “People felt helpless,” she said. By then, some Oak Park residents had been forced to sell their homes because they didn’t meet new housing codes or because the owners couldn’t pay mammoth property tax bills. Higher rents had also prompted some tenants, as well as mer chants, to abandon Oak Park.

“Oak Park waS a lIghtnIng rOd Of that dIScuSSIOn.” katie Valenzuela, co-chair of the Sacclt board, on the conversation around creating a community land trust

The talk led to action, said Valenzuela, a former president of the Oak Park Community Neighborhood Association. In October 2017, members elected SacCLT’s incorporating board. Under the motto “Building community, not profit,” the six current members meet monthly. SacCLT primarily serves “historically discriminated communities.” Its website

With so many vacant lots, Oak Park has plenty of room for new affordable housing, according to Katie Valenzuela of the SacCLT board, pictured here. Photo courtesy of Katie Valenzuela.

says, “our primary objective is to preserve affordability and community cohesion by preventing displacement.” In an interview, Valenzuela described ways SacCLT might help people in crisis. One of them could be by buying the land from the homeowner, allowing them to keep the value in their home and use the money for repairs or debt payments. With its many vacant lots, she said, Oak Park has plenty of room for new affordable housing — not $500,000 homes.

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

paid with a grant from the california endowment

BuILdINg HEaLTHY COmmuNITIES In 2010, The California Endowment launched a 10-year, $1 billion plan to improve the health of 14 challenged communities across the state. Over the 10 years, residents, 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 info about the Sacramento Community Land Trust visit Sacclt.org

www.SacBHC.org 02.14.19

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Basic supply and demand On the site of a stalled affordable housing project, a large homeless camp grew by Raheem F. hosseini

ra h e e m h @ne w s re v i ew.c o m

Eric Guerra climbed stairs as he recounted the uphill marathon to turn a long-vacant tract of government-owned land into homes that regular people can afford. Catching his breath, Sacramento’s vice mayor recalled that the effort stalled out well before his election to the City Council in 2015 due to a familiar foe: Too many municipal cooks, not enough dollar ingredients. When the massive global recession staggered California’s economy a decade ago, one of the casualties was a state fund for local redevelopment projects. That blanked a Sacramento plan to replace an eyesore swath of dirt with affordable housing. Guerra, who worked in the state Legislature at the time, said stakeholders continued to hold planning sessions about the site, but were unable to advance the ball. That’s how it stayed until 2018, when Guerra ran into state Senator Richard Pan at church. Their casual conversation resulted in Senate Bill 481, a micro-targeted piece of legislation signed into law last year. SB 481 authorizes Sacramento County’s redevelopment successor agency to sell the property on Stockton Boulevard for less than fair market value as long as affordable housing is built on it. “The future use of that land will be affordable housing,” Guerra promised last week. The present and past of that land has been a stark reminder of what happens in the absence of affordable housing. Up until recently, more than a hundred homeless people resided on the sprawling former sites of the San Juan Motel and a mobile home park, said two occupants. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which owns the property along with the county and its redevelopment successor agency, evicted most occupants and installed a fence—two days before volunteers conducted a federally required spot count of the county’s homeless population. Guerra downplayed the effect of the partial sweep on the Point-in-Time count, saying that Sacramento Steps Forward navigators would know where to find homeless residents.

Tents and personal belongings clutter a Stockton Boulevard property where more than 100 homeless people used to reside.

“I’m not worried about the undercount in that situation,” he said. Crystal Rose Sanchez believes there’s reason to be concerned. A member of the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee and founder of her own social advocacy group, Reckless Charity, Sanchez said homeless people are already wary of participating in the count, as many fear they’re just making themselves targets for the sweeps they expect to follow. And since homeless people don’t see the obvious benefits of participating in a count that helps determine federal funding, they’re reluctant to make their lives more difficult. “When it comes right down to it, who’s it really helping?” Sanchez said of the count. “The resources aren’t really there.” That was clear at the open-air tent village on Stockton Boulevard, where occupants got mixed messages about whether they could stay and for how long. “They can’t give them a straight answer for anything,” said Sanchez, who spent time at the encampment. Guerra said the visible homelessness along Stockton Boulevard “just highlights that we need more resources for folks.” He envisions enlisting a nonprofit developer such as Mercy Housing to buy the land for a buck and using Measure U revenue to help ensure what gets built is an organic community rather than an outcropping of apartments. For instance, Guerra imagines a child-care facility to serve working parents. He says since the site is close to a bus line, as well as grocery and drug stores, it’s well-suited for that level of housing. While SB 481 sets the table, it doesn’t put food on it. Financing will still be a challenge. “Like any redevelopment project, this one will still have the same issue, which is the gap financing,” Guerra explained. “We’ll have to think creatively about how to get there.” In the meantime, Guerra said, he sees people on Stockton Boulevard every day who are “white-knuckling it.” Ω

02.14.19

SN&R

Dating apps don’t work. Everyone knows everyone. And among millennials, dating is nearly extinct.

by Joey Garcia a s k J o e y@ n e w s r e v i e w . c o M

ost big cities boast a robust dating pool where singles can meet a mate. But in Sacramento, the sixth largest city in California, many locals say it’s more like a dating pond. “Everyone knows everyone here! It’s awful. The worst,” says Meghan Vanderford, a 26-year-old project manager and Instagram model. As if on cue, a local journalist who was briefly involved with her former roommate strolls by; Vanderford bursts out laughing. “If you grew up here, it gets kind of messy,” adds Stephen Jay Lewis, 24, who

16 | SN&R | 02.14.19

works as an administrative assistant in his family’s business. “People you date will know people you went to high school with or other people from your past, and if those people thought badly of your character, that’s going to reflect on you as you start dating. It’s happened to friends of mine and it’s unfortunate.” Theoretically, apps such as Bumble, Tinder, or Coffee Meets Bagel are digital matchmakers connecting people to partners they would never meet otherwise. But who in Sac hasn’t swiped left multiple times on exes, coworkers, or a friend’s former spouse?

It’s not as if we don’t have enough singles in the region. About 60 percent of adults in the city of Sacramento are solo: divorced, widowed, separated or never married. In Sacramento and Yolo counties, about 50 percent of adults are single; it’s 42 percent in Placer and El Dorado counties. That’s a significant inventory of possible mates, but availability isn’t the real problem. The truth is, dating has lost its allure. And among millennials, dating is nearly extinct. “Dating apps have ruined the concept of dating,” says Lewis, a trans man who is seeing someone he met offline. “You can put what you want on the profile. Your personality traits aren’t listed. It’s all about your age, your physical features, a hyper-focus on what your job is. Dating used to be about genuinely getting to know a person and seeing if you’re compatible. Now it’s like: Is this person attractive and do I want to sleep with them?”

More choices, fewer connections Previous generations met significant others through family or close friends within a limited social network that revolved around church, university or work. Then in 1995, Match.com launched its internet dating site and forever changed how we search for love. OkCupid and Plenty of Fish arrived in the early 2000s. Grindr, a LGBTQ hookup app hit the marketplace in 2007, followed by Tinder, a hookup app for the cisgender population, in 2012. But it was the birth of the iPhone in 2007 that plunged digital dating into the mainstream. Today we have an abundance of potential mates at our fingertips, each of whom might be a forever love. At least, that’s what the companies behind the apps advertise. Most adults know one or two people who met online and later married or moved in together. But everyone knows dozens of people who never find lasting love through dating apps. A 2016 Pew Research Center poll confirmed that only 5 percent of Americans who are in a marriage or committed relationship met their partner online. According to the study: “Even among Americans who have been with their spouse or partner five years or less, fully 88 percent say that they met their partner offline—without the help of a dating site.” Who is searching for love online? Pew Research reports that since 2013 the use of dating apps has tripled among 18-to 24-year-olds and doubled among 55- to 64-year-olds. So why doesn’t online dating result in more committed relationships?

this is your brain on tinder Gamified dating apps such as Tinder are the kissing cousins of casino slot machines. Both operate on what’s called a “variable schedule reward” or “unpredictable reward” system. An article in Psychology Today notes the parallels: “Players don’t know when, while pulling a lever or pressing a button, they will hit a jackpot; they play knowing that eventually, but not exactly when, someone who pulls the lever will win. “Tinder works on the same principle: Users don’t know when, while swiping, they will match with an individual they deem attractive. And users do not know when, after engaging in a conversation, a match will reply.”

“i f a Man i s n ’ t t r e at i n g y o u r i gh t , M o v e o n . if he doesn’t te xt yo u b ac k , on to the n e xt . ” Meghan vanderford, 26

In his book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, gaming entrepreneur Nir Eyal writes: “Let’s admit it, we’re all in the persuasion business. We call these people users and even if we don’t say it aloud, we secretly wish each one of them would become fiendishly hooked to whatever we’re making.” It’s happening. One study showed that a typical millennial spends 10 hours a week on Tinder, about 85 minutes a day for men and 79 minutes a day for women. That’s 520 hours a year that could otherwise be invested in finding love in real life. But for many, the compulsive use of Tinder and other dating apps has nothing to do with wanting to find a match and everything to do with what cultural anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll calls “a rabbit hole out of the self.” Translation: We’re uncomfortable inhabiting our own lives.

photo courtesy of meghan vanderford

hobbies include texting Joaquin Razo, a 32-year-old East Sacramento resident, is among those who have found it difficult to move app connections offline. He’s busy—Razo commutes daily to his job as the vice-president and chief strategy officer for the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce. He’s also in grad school and exercises twice a day (he’s dropped 100 pounds in the last year). But his schedule isn’t the biggest obstacle. “Conversations start on an app, then the girl disappears, then two days later she wants to pick it up. I’m very much like, ‘Can we just get this done?’” He snaps his fingers. “Can we have a phone conversation, meet up for a drink and decide? I don’t like the whole cat-and-mouse game. I’d rather have a phone conversation than a text conversation. A lot of girls would rather have a conversation over text just

because they want to be able to talk to somebody.” LaDonna Lee, 46, had the same trouble on Tinder. “Messages went back and forth. The men would not ever schedule a date,” says the pro-polyamory community activist. “I have a philosophy that I don’t chase men. I firmly believe that the pursuit part of dating is a masculine trait. So I will make my interests known and hold that interest so men can pursue. But on Tinder, the men wanted to be pursued. I’d get messages like: ‘Hi Beautiful. What are you doing?’ But never: ‘Are you busy Friday?’” The addictive quality of dating apps means more people use them for a dopamine hit than for a date. More than

“is dating dead?” continued on page 18

02.14.19 | SN&R | 17

“ is d Ati n g d e Ad?” continued from page 17

44 percent of people in one national online dating survey admitted they weren’t swiping to meet a mate. Bored and feeling insecure, they were swiping for what the survey called “confidence-boosting procrastination” purposes. There’s also the dilemma of decision overload. In 2000, Columbia Business School professor Sheena Iyengar and Stanford psychologist Mark Lepper identified a phenomenon that has since been used to partly explain online dating’s failure to lead to love in real life. In the original experiment, shoppers at an upscale grocery store were presented with 24 different kinds of jam and couldn’t make a decision about which one to buy. When offered six choices, shoppers easily selected one and claimed to be completely satisfied with their choice. The research concluded that a glut of possibilities leads to decision paralysis and dissatisfaction. Apply those findings to digital dating, and it’s easy to see why singles eager to meet partners are struggling. Apps present users with seemingly endless choices and just enough detail to intrigue our imaginations. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University who studies the science of love, told the MIT Technology Review that choice overload is a genuine problem with dating apps—and the sites know it. Fisher is the chief scientific advisor to Match.com, part of the same parent company as Tinder and OkCupid. photo courtesy of ladonna lee

Are 50 first dAtes the new normAl? Razo’s friends teasingly call him “old school” because he likes to ask women on dates. “Dating is courtship, the time to put someone on a pedestal, spoil them, take them out for an activity, talk and learn whether you can both achieve together what you want to achieve in the future,” explains Razo, who will soon be divorced from his college sweetheart after six years of marriage.

“when you court someone, they think there’s something wrong with you.” Joaquin razo, 32 But he’s discovering that millennial women fear courtship. “When you court someone, they think there’s something wrong with you. They read too much into things. When you’re nice to them in the beginning, they think you’re going to become a serial killer later. Courtship isn’t allowed anymore because it’s questioned.” Can we blame Lifetime? The cable network’s movies mostly spin the same plot: Don’t trust men who are nice to you. Last September the network launched You, a psychological thriller about two 20-somethings whose relationship teeters between love and obsession. In season one, Joe, a bookstore clerk pursues Beck, an aspiring writer. Joe

“i firmly believe t h At t h e p ur s ui t p Ar t o f d At i n g i s A m As c ul i n e t r Ai t . ” ladonna lee, 46 18 | SN&R | 02.14.19

photo courtesy of joaquin razo

is cute, attentive and thoughtful, but just below his desire to become Beck’s bae lurks a need to murder anyone who might direct her focus away from him. Based on the novel by Caroline Kepnes, the series also deftly reveals how to scour social media for everything you want to know about someone but were afraid to ask. Razo’s friends created dating app accounts for him when he announced that his marriage was ending. “I’ve been on 10 Bumble dates, five dates through Coffee Meets Bagel, but only one second date and no third dates.” Second dates are increasingly rare, experts say. To find out why, Priceonomics, an online site that aggregates data into stories, conducted a survey of young professional heterosexual males in New York and San Francisco. The reason most gave for not asking for a second date? “She was boring.” Studies by other firms reveal that women often refuse second dates because the initial meeting felt too much like a therapy session. Researchers at Harvard University found that first dates rarely lead to second dates unless both parties ask questions that show genuine interest. The key is to ask 15 questions, including a few that dive below the surface of the answers you receive. The average number of questions people ask is 10. Researchers noted that people refrain from asking questions because they don’t want to appear nosy. Or worse, they don’t

know how to ask questions focused on getting to know another person. Instead, they’re firing inquiries like a drill sergeant: What do you do for a living? Do you have your own place? Any children? Why did your last relationship end? It’s a huge turn off. “There’s a ‘check the boxes’ mentality, and I’m guilty of it, too,” says Razo. “It’s like watching The Bachelor. I have to go through all of these women and check the boxes until I find the right one.” Vanderford, who has a long-term boyfriend, says she has never tried a dating app. “I don’t have a problem meeting people in person,” she says. “I’m social. I’m not shy.” She says online dating is popular among her more introverted friends. She frequently warns them not to second guess themselves if they’re ghosted. “Don’t get so into your mind that you’re saying, ‘I shouldn’t have said that or done that on the first date.’ That’s you, though. If they don’t like it, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It just means you’re not compatible.” There are a lot of people in this world, Vanderford points out. “If a man isn’t

“is dAting deAd?” continued on page 20

A trans man finds

love Transitioning can make dating even more complex “My therapist says I have White Knight Syndrome,” says 24-year-old Stephen Jay Lewis. “I choose women who struggle with anxiety and depression, which I have, or women who have a bad fatherdaughter relationship. I don’t do it consciously.” The impulse to rescue damsels in distress carried Lewis into a three-year, on-and-off relationship. In retrospect, he realized it was emotionally abusive. Although published studies remain extremely limited, experts say emotional abuse between intimate trans partners may include using offensive pronouns such as “it” to refer to the transgender person, ridiculing the trans person’s body or appearance or being dismissive of the trans person’s identity. “She was waiting for me to have fewer expectations of her and I was expecting her to give me the love I deserve,” explains Lewis. By contrast, his new girlfriend tells him: “Dude, any other girl would want your love and would give love to you.”

HigH scHool seniors send us your college essays! “Through the scorn I grew up in, I learned resilience. Through the narrow-mindedness I faced, I learned perseverance. Through alienation, I learned independence. Through hate, I learned love. Love for my culture. Love for how I grew up. Love for who I am.”

photo courtesy of stephen jay lewis

“ A lo t o f gi rls j u st w Anted to experim ent or w ere cu ri ous Abo u t t rAns me n . it ’ s d isre spectf ul.” stephen jay lewis, 24 Born female, Lewis began to transition at age 16. While confident in himself as a young man, potential girlfriends at his high school were less accepting. “A lot of girls just wanted to experiment or were curious about trans men. It’s disrespectful.” The “Cool for the Summer” attitude of cisgendered people remains an issue in the trans community as a whole, he says.

eXCe RPT FROM h aRk OMal k. ni jjeR

“If the person they’re with hasn’t fully transitioned—from female to male for example—girls who are attracted will start questioning themselves: If my partner still has female anatomy, does this make me gay? Or does it not matter because I just really love this person?” Lewis advocates seeking professional help. “When you’re dating someone they shouldn’t have to be your therapist and your partner. Go to therapy!” Dubbing himself, “a long-term relationship kind of guy,” Lewis likes dating and prefers commitment. He’s very aware that his peers don’t often share his attitude. “Most millennials don’t commit because they need constant stimulation ... They don’t see how it creates jealousy and unhealthy power dynamics.” But he also accepts that true love is not fairy tale. “Love is seeing the best and worst side of someone and saying, ‘I love you for all of that entirely. Not just your perfections, but your flaws.’ You have to be willing to deal with your partner’s flaws because if you can’t, it won’t last.” Ω

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02.14.19 | SN&R | 19

continued from page 18

treating you right, move on. If he doesn’t text you back, on to the next. Don’t get caught up. Don’t let them hurt you.” Sometimes the reason you haven’t heard back is because you’re interacting with a dead profile. OKCupid calculated that 96 percent of eHarmony profiles are inactive. At 93.1 percent inactive profiles, Match.com was slightly better. That means a whopping 19 out of 20 profiles on these two sites represent members who are no longer around or who can’t respond because their subscription isn’t paid. Maybe that also helps explain Sacramento’s limited dating pool.

Why can’t We be friends? Facebook rolled out a dating site for a test run in Colombia last year, with plans to expand to the United States soon. It’s a swipe-free app designed to connect users to people who are genuinely interested in them. You can’t just type, “Heyyyyy!” for example. You must craft a thoughtful response to a potential date’s photos, or answer questions she or he has posted. People you’ve already blocked on Facebook won’t be among your matches. There’s significant excitement in the digital world about Facebook Dating, but Lee is ahead of the game. She’s been mining dates on the social media platform for more than a year. She says she was tired of meet-ups with men who looked and acted nothing like their profiles. It’s a common complaint. The older people are, the more likely they are to post decades-old photos or lie about their height, weight and marital status. So she began searching among men who were friends of her Facebook friends. “On Facebook you get real first and last names. And, depending how active a person is, you get their mom, cousins, best friends. You get to see if you share mutual interests, you get to see their intellectual expression, you get to see their wit. You see a lot about a man.” If a man accepts her friend request, Lee takes time to get to know him online, hoping to see the kind of personality traits she admires. “I like the mystic, the revolutionary, the activist, the ‘Rage Against the Machine’ kind of man,” she says. “I like a black man who is not afraid to fearlessly speak the truth.” Her observation period can take months, but Lee says it’s worth it. “By the time a man moves to liking then hearting my pictures, then 20 | SN&R | 02.14.19

a GhostinG lesson

commenting, then messaging me, I have a really good idea of who I’m talking to.” It’s how she met her current partner who she says is a perfect match.

We’d rather mate than date Between dead profiles, ghosting and jonesing for dopamine hits, it’s not unusual to believe that someone who shows a little interest is “The One.” Or maybe people just want to hookup because they can. “I read a meme the other day about millennials that said, ‘Sex first, then if you like them go on a date, and see where it goes,’” Vanderford says. Razo, a Catholic, has conflicted feelings about first date sex. “I have to feel I’m emotionally connected to someone to have sex, but I’m not opposed to having sex on a first date. I won’t have a second date with someone I had sex with on the first date. This sounds judgmental but I appreciate someone who wants to wait until the second or third date to have sex.” Vanderford’s attitude is inspired by how she feels in the moment. “I don’t believe in waiting for the third date. Sex first. It worked for me. I’m not big on playing games. You can kiss on the first date. You can kiss on the fifth date. There are no rules. Do what feels right for you.” Hopefully, that includes insisting on a condom or dental dam to reduce the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted illness. More than 20 million new cases of STDs occur every year in the United States, and more than half are in people under 25. But STD rates keep rising for adults over 55, too, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some reports say baby boomers are having more casual sex, but aren’t as likely to use protection as younger generations. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex, hookup culture is killing traditional dating. The ritual of getting to know someone slowly over time is dying, replaced by the ease of a one-night stand. We’re not courting and we’re rarely committing anymore. Instead, we’re in bed with our phones, scrolling the virtual world for byte-sized bursts of connection. Ω

Joey Garcia writes the “ask Joey” column for sn&r. she’s also a certified life coach who helps clients create more satisfying relationships and conquer creative goals. Joey’s book, When your heart breaks, it’s opening to Love , received a national award for promoting tolerance and forgiveness.

A relationship ends abruptly, then 20 years later, his daughter appears by Joey Garcia Ghosting isn’t new. Back when I was a student at Sacramento State, I fell hard for a tall, 20-something general contractor who had ditched college to start his own business. After a few perfect dates and after he asked me to be his girlfriend, he disappeared. No warning. No justification. He didn’t respond to my phone calls, either. I mentally shifted through memories of our conversations but couldn’t pinpoint why our connection ended. Whatever happened was apparently none of my business. Months later, there was a late-night knock on the door of my Midtown apartment. The contractor stood on my welcome mat, and began a careful apology. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said. “There are things you didn’t know about me, things I couldn’t tell you.” He was an alcoholic, he said. Since our last date, he had joined a 12-step program and had stopped drinking. He was committed to a new life.

photo by hope harris

“ is d a t in G d e a d ?”

“I didn’t even know you drank alcohol,” I said, wondering what else I had missed. Then he explained how he had kept his addiction from me. It takes courage to do a personal inventory and to accept responsibility for harming others. So I thanked him for showing up and filling in the blanks. We can build a future together now, I thought. I had just been invited to a fraternity formal. Should I cancel my date? “There’s something else,” he said. “I’m seeing someone I met in my program.”

i W i s h ed h i m L u c k a n d m ea n t i t. W e W en t o u r s ep a ra te Wa y s . “Gah! Relationships are so complicated!” I wished him luck and meant it. We went our separate ways. Fast forward 20 years. It’s day one of a new high school year and I’m a teacher. My students settle into their seats and I begin the roll call. “Here!” a teenage girl says. Then she adds: “You dated my dad.” Giggles, questions and salacious comments shoot through the room. “My mom says that you and my dad dated before they got married and—” “Let’s talk about this another time,” I interrupt. “When?” she asks. She seems genuinely curious. “Never.” Note to self: Ask men you date not to tell their future daughters about you. Ω

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shine sacraMento This is easily my top choice for a low-pressure first coffee date. With Bob Ross episodes on a televised loop and a different featured artist on its walls each month, this down-to-earth coffee shop offers plenty of opportunities for conversations about art and creativity. Wednesdays alternate between the Speak Out! Sacramento open-mic series and landscape painting classes; Friday and Saturday nights feature live music. Plus, they serve beer and wine—an endearing quality in any coffee shop. For years, Shine also stocked oldschool board games such as Connect4. They’ve recently been removed, but maybe if enough people miss the games they’ll bring them back? After all, you can tell a lot about a person based on their approach to Guess Who?. Until then, bring some pens and paper and get creative together. Draw each other in 30 seconds or write some haikus. It’s pretty dorky but in a fun, sweet way. 1400 E St., Sacramento, shinesacramento.com

eight first date sacramento spots to ignite your love life by Kate Gonzales

ost of my meet-cutes turn out to be end-bads. Or at least, end-mediocres. My most memorable meet-cute happened on a Manhattan train: Me heading back to the cheapest Airbnb in Queens, him returning to his Brooklyn apartment. We smile at each other, I ask if I’m on the right train. Nope. “I feel like I should get your number,” he says reluctantly before I hop off. The next day we meet up at a sushi bar, where we both admit to journaling about one another. After dinner and walking around Manhattan, we end up at a Brooklyn dive bar. It has all the ingredients of a dope first date: Skee-Ball and hoops, a photo booth, alcohol and karaoke and a pair of cuties. We sing a duet of Blink-182’s “First Date” for a small, enthusiastic crowd. It was tops. By a New Yorker’s standards, I imagine meeting on the subway is too cliché to qualify as a romantic spark of cinematic proportions. But when you’re traveling, every moment seems to have that sheen of adventurous romance. Traveling has this way of separating the pressure and expectations from the first-date experience.

22 | SN&R | 02.14.19

Spoiler alert: Train guy and I didn’t end up together. It’s a fitting outcome when your date lives 3,000 miles away; the impermanence is part of the charm. Back at home, I’ve found the dating experience to be less charming as a feeling of disillusionment has attached itself to the redundant process. Dinner, drinks, an exchange of questions and pleasantries often punctuated by a distinct lack of connection. Only one of those dates has been terrifically bad (here’s hoping you got over your ex, Zach). The others just never seem to meet the bar set in that East Coast karaoke bar. But hey, I’m not trying to bring down those V-Day vibes. For me, the point of a first date is to have lowpressure fun meeting someone new. Personally, I’m starting to think the best approach is to try to capture some of that adventurous spark ignited by travel. A good place to start is to pick spots with activities or games and good food, and places that promote spontaneity and fun conversation. In the spirit of adventure, here’s my list of eight Sacramento-area spots to try for a first date—it’s as much for me as it is for you.

the crest theatre and tower theatre Rarely an advocate for movies on a first date, I make an exception for both these gems. They offer an experience to discuss more than just what you and your date thought of the latest superhero flick. Take someone who is into indie movies, documentaries and special series such as Hitchcocktober to the Tower. Visit the Crest for nostalgic films. From Selena to They Live, the Crest has wide appeal and also draws big names for live music and comedy. Crest Theatre: 1013 K St., crestsacramento. com; Tower Theatre: 2508 Land Park Drive, facebook.com/towertheatreca.

the Press Looking for a spot for a fancy first date? This established Midtown restaurant is hidden in plain sight on Capitol Avenue with an interior that’s warm and unpretentious. Friendly servers make for a familiar feel even if you’re not a regular. Whether you’re scheduling a casual happy hour date or an upscale dinner, it’s an impressive choice for its delicious seasonal food and inviting upscale atmosphere. 1809 Capitol Ave., thepressbistro.com.

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See ArtS & culture

dAting, breAkup plAyliStS See muSic

Evaluate your date’s moves with Sunday night grooves at DJ Larry’s Church of the True School Motorbooty Throwdown.

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Your date may either be impressed or weirded out by what they find at Red Museum. This spot near 15th and C streets features live music, offbeat art demonstrations and variety shows in the industrial indoor/outdoor venue. It also hosts the monthly Audio Waffle, where you can munch on coffee and waffles together against the backdrop of sound of the noise variety. Check that out the third Sunday of the month. Too avant-garde for your date’s taste? They weren’t right for you anyway. On to the next! 212 15th St., facebook.com/theredmuseum.

And for something completely different, isn’t it wonderful to retreat into the playful indulgences of childhood? Some say, “Yes!” If you’re mingling in the summer, this suburban playground is a nostalgic, activity-heavy destination. With water slides, a minigolf course, arcade games and go karts, it’s also thick with families. Be prepared for that, and maybe go on a weekday. This spot doesn’t serve alcohol, so it’s a good option for non-drinkers or those who prefer to abstain when they’re getting to know someone. 1893 Taylor Road in Roseville, golfland.com/roseville.

Coin-op GaME RooM Hey, don’t roll your eyes—hear me out. I’m not saying get a date at Coin-Op, just bring one there. Pinball and one-on-one hoops are great ways to play and laugh together. Try a weekday for smaller and quieter crowds, though. 908 K St., Sacramento, coinopsac.com.

SunDay faRMERS MaRkET Shopping for local produce has never been so sexy. Talk about the affordability of free-range beef, the convenience of living lettuce and, if you’re so inclined, test out some sociopolitical topics. I enjoy bringing up my preference for supporting farmers of color and gauging the response. Many will tell you to avoid any such talk on a first date, but I don’t really want to be with someone who has a problem with that statement. The market is set up each weekend under the freeway, across W Street from Southside Park. After you’re done shopping, cross the park and grab $4 bacon-wrapped hot dogs and other snacks from the folks with the food carts outside the Catholic church. Then, bring your snacks over to Southside Park to waste away a Sunday morning hanging out in front of the popular Chicano mural. 8 a.m.-noon. W St. and 8th St.; california-grown.com/Market-times.html. Ω

Farewell, KISS, again It was a dark and stormy night, and kiSS was in town for a farewell show. Talk about two clichés that perfectly summed up last Saturday night. KISS riffed and strutted to a packed Golden 1 Center on its “End of the Road” tour, which, by the way, nearly marked the 10-year anniversary of its first “farewell” tour in 2000. So yes, we’ve been down this road to retirement before: The pomp and pyromania of “Detroit Rock City;” the stand-ins for Ace Frehley (Tommy Thayer) and Peter Criss (Eric Singer) playing note-for-note versions of signature songs; gene Simmons gurgling blood in “God of Thunder” like he just took a nasty punch in a bar fight outside Costanza’s. But the feeling rising through the air of vape smoke and stage fog was: This really could be the KISS finale for Sacramento. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are both nearing 70, and you can only push the “farewell” angle for so many decades before people stay home and save their money on $50 T-shirts. Still, it’s not an overly sentimental show for the “hottest band in the world.” Despite some video highlight reels of spandex days gone by, there was little in the way of nostalgic banter between songs, or dwelling much on the “farewell” aspect of the show. The “End of the Road” tour is essentially the same gig that KISS has been presenting since Frehley and Criss left in the early 2000s. The guitars still shoot fireworks, “Beth” is performed amid a sea of cell phone lights and Paul Stanley yells, “how ya doing Sacramento, we love you” as much as possible between songs. The two-hour concert always runs to a tight script, save for the part when Simmons threw a diva fit and cussed out a crew member for not using a white spotlight during the blood barfing sequence in “God of Thunder.” It’s still a fun show for the KISS Army faithful and fans of big bombastic Arena rock. The 20-song set was heavy on the classics (“Deuce,” “Cold Gin,” “Shout It Out Loud”) with just a few detours into newer songs and deeper cuts such as “War Machine,” from KISS performs at Golden 1 Center. 1982’s Creatures of the Night. By the end of it all, as confetti rained down during “Rock and Roll All Nite”—followed by winter rain falling outside—the KISS Army had certainly received its fill and the band was on to the next city to say farewell (again).

Photo by cam evans

Evaluate your date’s moves with Sunday night grooves at DJ Larry’s Church of the True School Motorbooty Throwdown—aka Church. The free Sunday night dance party is a great way to kick off your week. This genre-crossing weekly dance party’s soundtrack might feature the Talking Heads or the Temptations; whatever the sounds, it’s a Midtown staple that will have you feelin’ yourself and hopefully the person you bring along. 9 p.m. 2030 P St., facebook.com/ thepressclub.

See diSh

ThE RED MuSEuM

RoSEviLLE GoLfLanD SunSpLaSh

ThE pRESS CLub

romAntic SpotS

—Chris MaCias

02.14.19 | SN&R | 23

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s c o t t a @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

I first learned of Scotland’s literary shadow weaver while strolling down Edinburgh’s Young Street in 2015. I’d noticed a group hovering around an aged, half-anonymous establishment called the Oxford Bar. Soon, I learned the visitors were peering inside the pub in hopes of spotting a man that they knew didn’t actually exist: Detective Inspector John Rebus, a harddrinking, chain-smoking, bloodhound-like member of Edinburgh’s murder police. Within the fictional world the sleuth inhabits, the Oxford Bar is his main nighttime haunt. And while it may be impossible to find Rebus in the 200-yearold tavern, catching a glimpse of his creator—Ian Rankin—drinking there is a better bet. Over three decades and 23 novels, Rankin has become the undisputed heavyweight of Scottish crime writing. A few months ago, I was back in Edinburgh, and this time even more people were hanging around the Oxford Bar, dreaming of spotting Rebus—and hoping for a run-in with Rankin. Part of Rankin’s growing appeal is that his tales are fixed in the grittiest reality. His drug dealers and street toughs practically breathe down the reader’s neck. His knowledge of genuine police procedure is all but encyclopedic. Rankin’s latest novel, In a House of Lies, stays relevant by touching on the strains of corruption that have surfaced within law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. As someone who’s worked as a newspaper crime reporter for more than a decade, I wanted to know how Rankin did his research, especially in those early years. I recently caught up with him in San Francisco and was finally able to ask. “When I first started writing the books, my idea of research was to write to the chief of police in

Edinburgh and say, ‘Can you help me?’” Rankin remembered. “And he sent me to a police station to talk to two detectives … I gave them the plot of my first Inspector Rebus novel, which turned out to be quite close to a case they were working on. So, I became a suspect in a murder during my first attempt at research. After that, I didn’t do any research for ages, because I didn’t want to get in trouble with the police.” I could see Rankin’s commitment to detail was akin to that of the few crime reporters who remain in Sacramento. But there’s another element to his novels that feels authentic: Over time they’ve increasingly featured a second character, Siobhan Clarke, who many fans believe is among the best female detective characters. Given that some of the biggest cases I’ve covered were cracked by women—including Placer County District Attorney’s Office investigator Mary Green—I wanted to ask Rankin if Siobhan was based on a real person, and what he thinks she’s come to mean to his Rebus books. “In the early Rebus books, there aren’t any strong female characters because I didn’t feel like I could write from a female perspective,” Rankin reflected. “But once Siobhan came into the equation, she grew in confidence … and now I think she’s as important to the series as Rebus … He sees the world in terms of absolutes, good and evil; and she sees that there are grey areas in the middle, and tries to show him.” It was good to hear that Siobhan wasn’t going anywhere, but another class of character might be, and that also comes down to the author’s real-world reflections. In a House of Lies contains meditations on the fate of Edinburgh’s newspapers, including the fact that the Scotsman is down to its last professional crime reporter. Like most real cops, Rebus has a conflicted relationship with journalists. However, faced with them possibly disappearing altogether, the detective comes to worry about the alternative. Is Rankin concerned that the retraction of independent reporting will affect crime novelists? “Without long-form journalism, without proper good investigative reporting, a lot of huge crimes of the past would have gone unnoticed,” Rankin observed. “And I’m fearful that a lot of big crimes in the present, and in the future, will now be things that people get away with.” Ω

The breakup tracks less taken Heartbreak sucks, but the soundtrack to your undying pain doesn’t have to by Raheem F. hosseini

For even more breakup songs and to listen to the full list, visit newsreview.com/ sacramento.

After my first serious relationship ended, I spent months obsessively curating a conceptual three-CD playlist about a modern-day civil war that divides a couple and results in a nuclear explosion. It was ridiculous. Over the years, my personal catalog of breakup music has only expanded, thanks to what my therapist describes as an inability to truly communicate or blah, blah, blah. I wasn’t really listening. But hey, you know what they say: Unlucky in love, very lucky in selfpitying soundtracks. These are some of my favorite spurned love songs, which is to say they’ve felt ripped from the open chest cavity where my heart used to be. I don’t know if they’ll skewer you the same way; I kind of hope they don’t. Because, man, heartbreak sucks, doesn’t it?

ra h e e m h @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

it’s so stripped-down and bare you can almost see bone. Sung as a dialogue between two people—one setting sail to new adventures, one not realizing this means goodbye— it’s a gutting reminder that you can feel so close to someone and yet never truly chart their changing heart. “I Wish Someone Would Care,” Irma Thomas

Thomas sings like she’s crying her way up to the pearly gates. Caution: May induce swooning. “Age of Consent,” New Order

The surviving members of Joy Division toy with teenage anthem status here. I’d be shocked if this back-beating, bass-licking, vibrating earworm hasn’t soundtracked a roller rink breakup. The lush keyboard cameos feel like warm rain. And the lyrics, while a little oblique, include a killer couplet that nails how circumstances “Can’t Satisfy,” The seem to conspire Impressions nico is so done with love. when two people are Sometimes hindsight at their weakest: “Do can be a cold shiv in the you find this happens all the time gut. “I found out in time / What was / Crucial point one day comes a on your mind / You never planned crime?” Why yes I do. to stay / Didn’t love me anyway.” If you ignore the resentful words, you’d “You Threw a Spark,” Crooked Fingers be forgiven for spinning this dose of This horn-laden take-down excavates Motown ecstasy at Christmastime. all your partner’s insecurities and Curtis Mayfied’s uptempo falsetto weaponizes them in savage fashion. flies and the session players keep Listen to this when you don’t just the pedal down for two-and-a-half want to burn the bridge, you want to toe-tapping minutes. When the napalm the one who helped you build goosebumps-inducing sax solo flares, it, too. try not to levitate. “Woo!” indeed. “Boots of Spanish Leather,” Bob Dylan

This track comes from the nasally bard’s early, acoustic days, meaning

“Brother, My Cup Is Empty,” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Calling this a breakup song is a stretch even for me, but there is an

ambiguous (and incredibly dark) reference to a bad relationship. Besides, this frenetic, pulsing rocker provides the cathartic outlet you need when you’re at your most self-destructive. “Anemone,” The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Thanks to the honey-lathered guitars, dazed percussion and Mara Keagle’s hot-breath vocals, this one feels like the painkillers are finally kicking in. “I’m Straight,” The Modern Lovers

The most unaffected track on this list, it’s also Jonathan Richman at his slacker-sounding peak with his shortlived band. For the straight-edge crowd who doesn’t know why they keep losing out to drugstore loser types like Hippie Johnny. “These Days,” Nico

The German multi-hyphenate with the thick banshee brogue sends us a postcard from her self-imposed exile. Spending her days shunning human contact, she doesn’t have it in her to try anything again, much less love. “I had a lover / I don’t think I’ll risk another these days.” Turns out there are worse things than heartbreak. There’s the numbing emptiness that swallows it. “It Just Dawned On Me,” John Doe & The Sadies

Legendary X frontman John Doe fronts this finger-picking country kiss-off with a twist. When people ask, “Do you like country music?” I’m like, “Good country music,” and they’re like, “Well, what does that mean?” and I’m like, “THIS.”

“Y are you looking at us that way?”

Songs to women, A-Z A playlist of songs to dedicate to the one you love, especially if they have the right name by Foon Rhee

In high school, when I was listening to a lot of LPs, I daydreamed that if I was a radio deejay, on Valentine’s Day I would spin an A-Z list of songs with women’s names in the title that were among my favorites. I never got the chance, but here’s the list. You can dedicate a song to the one you love, especially if they have the right name. I couldn’t find one for “X,” so some career advice for bands: If you write a love song to a woman whose name begins with X, you’ll have the market cornered. A “Amie,” Pure Prairie League B “Beth,” KISS C “Candy’s Room,” Bruce Springsteen D “Donna,” Ritchie Valens E “A Letter to Elise,” The Cure

“Pale Blue Eyes,” The Velvet Underground

F “Fanny,” Bee Gees

One of the most beguiling breakup songs from this country’s finest rock and roll band. Lou Reed’s cryptic short story covers two people who are so in love and yet so imperfect for each other, and seems to time jump to an illicit affair, when one of them is married. Sterling Morrison’s honey-dripping guitar licks make the infidelity go down like aged bourbon.

G “Georgia,” Boz Scaggs

“Something for You,” Sarabeth Tucek

By the time this elegiac lullaby winds down, Tucek is ready to move on but cracking a door: “I’ve gone and left this song, but I leave the ending up to you.” I can’t think of a better note to end on than with a glimmer that it might still work out. Ω

fo o nr @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

H “Holly, Holy,” Neil Diamond I “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls J “Jackie Blue,” Ozark Mountain Daredevils K “Kathy’s Song,” Simon & Garfunkel L “Layla,” Derek and the Dominos M “Melissa,” The Allman Brothers N “Nina,” Ed Sheeran O “Ophelia,” The Band P “Peg,” Steely Dan Q “Little Queenie,” Chuck Berry R “Rhiannon,” Fleetwood Mac S “Sara Smile,” Hall & Oates T “Tammy,” Debbie Reynolds U “Ursula,” Barclay James Harvest V “Valerie,” Steve Winwood W “Wendy,” The Beach Boys Y “Oh Yoko,” John Lennon Z “Zelda,” Pete Townshend

02.14.19 | SN&R | 25

Now playiNg

ReviewS

Everything’s in question by Jim Carnes

Photo courtesy of chautauqua Playhouse

Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Green Valley Theatre’s current production is one of the most entertaining must-sees to hit the local theater scene in a while. The costumes are period-perfect, and the stage design is era-appropriate. Fri 8pm, Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm; Through 2/24; $20; Westminster Presbyterian Church Hall, 1300 N St.; greenvalleytheatre.com. P.R.

The Guardians

Though filled with tender moments, thoughtful reflections and some lovely prose, The Guardians isn’t quite ready for prime time. However, it explores a topic sure to stir the hearts and concerns of parents. Fri 8pm, Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm; Through 2/16; $18-$20; Resurrection Theatre, 1723 25th St.; (916) 491-0940, resurrectiontheatre.com. P.R.

Who is guilty? Who is overly suspicious?

Doubt

fri 8pm, sat 8pm, sun 2pm. through 3/3; $19-$21; chautauqua Playhouse, 5325 engle road in the la sierra community center, (916) 489-7529, cplayhouse.org.

A suspicious Mother Superior, convinced of the worst in everyone, comes into conflict with a progressive young priest who takes, perhaps, a little-too-personal interest in a young male student at the church school. Doubt, subtitled A Parable, is a battle of wills that plays off the audience’s experiences of racism (the young boy is African-American) and of the Catholic priest sex scandal. Sister Aloysius, played by Lee Marie Kelly with unwavering certainty until the very end, makes it her mission to remove Father Brendan Flynn (T.S. Hamilton) from the priesthood—or at least from “her” church. Hamilton plays Father Flynn with a humility that befits a priest, but who, when pushed, can and does fight back. Playwright John Patrick Shanley plants seeds of doubt from the beginning, but gradually becomes more critical of the nun’s insistence on the priest’s guilt. A young, idealistic teacher, played by Sophie Blackburn, becomes the audience surrogate, trying to determine which of the two is right. Blackburn is in a tough position, given a role that is not as well-written as the other two. The well-regarded theatrical couple of Bob and Rosemarie Gerould direct the play and draw strong performances, including from Sarina Krastev as the mother of the young student in question. Ω

Juno and the Paycock

Juno and the Paycock focuses on the Boyle family struggling in the squalor of a Dublin tenement. It takes a while for this production to find the right rhythm, but once it does, the audience is effectively pulled into the family drama. Fri 8pm, Sat

8pm, Sun 2pm; Through 2/17; $15-$20; California Stage,

1725 25th St.; (916) 451-5822, calstage.org. P.R.

House on Haunted Hill

A millionaire and his wife invited a group of five strangers to a “haunted house” party with the promise of $10,000—for a comedy, there seemed to be too many straight-man characters, which allowed Tara Sissom and Jason Kuykendall to completely steal the show with their hilarious character choices.

foul

Hamlet on pointe As if Hamlet wasn’t dramatic enough, between the ghosts, the betrayals and a few heavy doses of Bard-prescribed murder, The Sacramento Ballet is kicking up the drama a few dozen notches by performing a version of the work that’s been translated into a universal language—no, not Esperanto—dance. It’s all part of Amy Seiwert’s docket of performances for her first year as Sac Ballet’s artistic director. Taking out all of Shakespeare’s verbose lines—including the most famous soliloquy of all time—and letting human legs, arms and hips do the talking, it’s a guaranteed mix-up from your high school’s “avant-garde” production of the play with ludicrous accents. As Prince Hamlet discovers that his father has been murdered and summarily replaced by his own brother in the throne room and the bedroom, it’s up to the justifiably upset heir to the crown to grapple with emotions and plot a course for vengeance. The ballet was originally performed at Ballet Austin in 2000 and was choreographed by Stephen Mills and composed by Philip Glass. Mills came to Sacramento to work with dancers and oversee choreography. The combined composer-choreographer team pack a powerful punch, and the Glass score sets the brooding and emotional tone for the Shakespearean classic. —Maxfield Morris

fair

5pm & 9pm, Sun 2pm, Tue 6:30pm, Wed 2pm & 6:30pm; Through 2/17; $33-$47; B Street Theatre, 2700 Capitol Ave.; (916) 443-5300, bstreettheatre.org. TMO

Slowgirl

A teenage American girl flees to an ex-pat uncle living in Costa Rica to contemplate her life after what appears to have been a tragic accident; her uncle, a former lawyer, has his own secret reason for choosing life in the jungle over his homeland in Greg Pierce’s provocative play, now at Capital Stage. Stephanie Altholz and Tim Kniffin co-star. Wed 7pm,

Thu 7pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 2pm; Through 2/24; $30-$42; Capital Stage, 2215 J St.; (916) 995-5464, capstage.org. J.C.

Thu 8pm, Fri 8pm, Sat

1 2 3 4 5

hamlet: fri 7:30pm, sat 7:30pm, sun 2pm; through 2/17; $25$80; sacramento community center theater, 1301 l street; sacballet.org.

26 | SN&R | 02.14.19

Good

Well-done

suBlime don’t miss

short reviews by Patti roberts, tessa marguerite outland and Jim carnes.

Photo courtesy of feld entertainment

marie Hanford glides as the 2016 Disney princess, moana.

Siblings on ice Disney on Ice brings magical stories to cities across the country, but the Dare to Dream show’s stop in Sacramento also brings two sisters back to their hometown. Tosha and Marie Hanford, who play Princess Anna from Frozen and Moana from Moana, respectively, are originally from the area. They cut their skating teeth at the Ice Arena in Roseville, have both been on ice for the past 20 or so years, but only recently performed together, as Tosha explained in a phone interview. “Two seasons ago, we asked, if it were possible, could we possibly get on the same tour?” she said. “The rest is history.” Now they’re playing their biggest roles ever—a result of their showing characteristics and abilities similar to their characters—in front of friends and family. “To play for your home city,” Tosha said, “it’s an amazing feeling, and both of us have been really looking forward to it for quite some time.” Thu 7pm, Fri 7pm, Sat 11am, 3pm& 7pm, Sun 11am, 3pm & 7pm, Mon 12pm & 4pm. Through 2/18; $20-$135; Golden 1 Center, 500 David J. Stern Walk; (916) 840-5700, golden1center.com.

—Maxfield Morris

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SN&R

intimate, outdoor patio. 3649 J Street, (916) 455-7803, latrattoriabohemia.com.

Zocalo There a few Zocalo locations such as its restaurant on Howe Avenue and also its Roseville spot at the Fountains. Still, I’m partial to its Midtown locale with its tall, private booths, ample mood lighting and delicious cocktails. A must: the blackberry margarita. It’s made with organic, pureed blackberries, which creates a beautiful hue of violet. The kitchen also serves up an array of dishes inspired by the Mexican city of Puebla’s rich culinary history, such as mole. Zocalo’s mole boasts 26 ingredients, including dried fruits, toasted nuts, chiles and even chocolate. It’s the perfect dish to order during a romantic evening for two. 1801 Capitol Avenue, (916) 441-0303, zocalosacramento.com.

Binchoyaki illustration by sarah hansel

Tableside romance Sacramento’s most charming dining experiences by Steph RodRiguez

A sure-fire way to someone’s heart is through a comforting meal, or at least that works for me. So if you’re playing Cupid and aim to remind your special guy or gal just how much you love and admire them, do it over dinner and drinks. Sacramento has much to offer, including scenic views of the river and the Tower Bridge under moonlight and hands-on experiences in private booths with skewers and fountains of melted chocolate. This Valentine’s Day, SN&R invites couples old and new to dine at one of these restaurants, among many others, because there’s nothing more romantic than warm lighting, a glass of wine and your favorite person staring back at you from across the table.

La Trattoria Bohemia This East Sacramento restaurant blends Czech and Italian cuisines so you and 28 | SN&R | 02.14.19

s t e p h r@ne w s re v i e w . c o m

your date can choose between comforting dishes such as chicken paprikash (slow-cooked chicken thighs spiced with sweet Hungarian paprika, cooked in a cream sauce with onions and served over späetzle) or handmade ravioli made fresh daily by owner Mark Lastuvka. Lastuvka emigrated from the Czech Republic in 1990 and learned how to make pasta from scratch from Maria Guerrera, owner of Roma II Pizzeria on Folsom Boulevard. He says Guerrera is like a mother to him, and now Lastuvka can bust out hundreds of perfectly shaped raviolis by noon. The ambiance of La Trattoria Bohemia is what makes this place a romantic destination for a bite to eat, a glass of wine and some nice conversation. The lighting is warm and the aromas of spices waft from the kitchen, giving the dining room a homey touch. Keep this spot in mind for when the weather warms up as it also has an

states that on V-Day and through the weekend, it expects to liquefy 400,000 pounds of chocolate, which couples will undoubtedly consume with skewered fruits, marshmallows and other sweet treats. An evening with the one you love over a molten fountain of melted cheese followed by a chocolate river sounds like a hands-on, yet playful experience. 814 15th Street, (916) 443-2347, meltingpot.com/sacramento.

Rio City Café The scenic riverfront view at Rio City Café is gorgeous in the evening. It’s the perfect opportunity to snag an intimate selfie with your loved one as the Tower Bridge glows in the background and the Sacramento River sparkles under moonlight. Located on the river, it’s fitting that Rio City’s dinner menu is studded with seafood options such as coconut prawns and grilled salmon in addition to steak offerings such as filet mignon wellington with portobello and cremini mushrooms. Rio City also has an impressive “after dinner” drinks menu with ports and dessert wines, chocolate martinis and Irish coffees to cap a night off in Old Sacramento just right. 1110 Front Street, (916) 442-8226, riocitycafe.com.

Sometimes, eating delicious meats on a stick and grilled oysters is all you need for a romantic evening. If this sounds like your style, take your sweetheart to Binchoyaki for some modern Japanese barbecue. Whether you sit at the bar or snag a window seat, the small, but cozy dining room has its customers right Veg Café & Bar in the action of the busy kitchen. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have The aroma of savory meats to be all about steak and alone is enough to lure lobster. So for all you any passersby. Here, lovely vegetarians it’s all about the If you’re playing and vegans out perfect, crispy char Cupid and aim to there, treat your on the meats. bae to a laid Couples have a remind your special guy back evening at lot of proteins Veg. Chef and to choose from, or gal just how much you owner Suleka including New love and admire them, Sun-Lindley York strip, duck, of Thai Basil in chicken and a do it over dinner and Midtown opened variety of seafood drinks. Veg right above her such as salmon, flagship restaurant. hamachi and tuna. Pro The cuisine at Veg tip: Order a variety of combines Asian, Indian and items from the “Binchoyaki” Thai flavors. Featured on its special portion of the menu and offer your Valentine’s Day dinner menu is eggplant partner a bite. 2226 10th Street, (916) shakshuka with a tomato-based sauce, 469-9448 green bell peppers and onions, served The Melting Pot with creamy polenta and grilled Beyond sausage. What’s not to love? And, since Popularized in the 1960s, fondue made Veg is on the second floor, the view of its way into the hearts of many with its Midtown’s bustling streets will make for pot of melted cheese meant for dipping ample people-watching opportunities and artisan breads and seasonal vegetables. conversation inspiration. 2431 J Street, In Sacramento, we have The Melting (916) 448-8768, vegmidtown.com. Ω Pot, a restaurant that’s truly dedicated to the Swiss food trend. Its website

Photo courtesy of legado sPirits

Ciao Pizza Now Open! An authentic Italian pizza restaurant from those who brought you Ciao Restaurant

390 N Sunrise Ave • Roseville, CA 95661 • (916) 784-2426

From left, Hola Motuapuaka, Charmaine Magale, Christy Decelle and Yvette Rincon are the women behind Legado Spirits.

4701 h St. eASt SAC thAiAtSAC.CoM Sun-Thu: 11AM-9.30pM F r i - S AT: 11AM-11pM

dRiNk

Women of rye whiskey Legado Spirits’ four-woman team offers a female touch to brown liquors by Daniel Barnes

When Charmaine Magale started touring distilleries in California, Oregon, Washington state and Canada as research before starting her own spirits company, she noticed that something important was missing. “I felt this lack of presence of female energy in these distilleries,” says Magale, one of the four female owners of Sacramento-based Legado Spirits, which launched its debut rye whiskey last September. “It’s a very male-dominated industry.” With the goal of capitalizing on that divide and opening a fully female-owned distillery in Sacramento, Magale partnered with wife Yvette Rincon, local entrepreneur Christy Decelle and Hola Motuapuaka (CEO and owner of Myla’Cor Spirits) to create Legado Spirits. The word “legado” is Spanish for “legacy,” but while Magale and her partners hoped that a local craft distillery would be the start of theirs, the economic realities of the industry got in their way. Spirits are surging in popularity, but for numerous reasons, craft distilleries have not grown in California at the same explosive rate as craft breweries. Distilleries must go through a punishing permitting process and cannot freely sell from their own tasting rooms. Another main roadblock is that it takes several years for a whiskey to fully mature. Rancho Cordovabased J.J. Pfister Distilling Company, which also opened last year, got around the problem by starting with fast-distilling spirits such as vodka and gin.

Instead of opening a full distillery, Legado decided to import “cask-strength” whiskey from Indiana, and then had it “curated to the female palate” by adding water, a process known as proofing. “It’s been a two-and-a-half-year journey for us to pick the right rye that we wanted to release,” Magale says. “The way we proofed it down, it has less heat in it and it’s a little bit more accommodating.” Through the first five months, the Legado legacy is one of success. Already available in local liquor stores and boutique markets such as Corti Brothers and Taylor’s Market, Legado Whiskey will also be available in Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill throughout California, as well as Save Mart and Nugget locally, by the end of the month. “It’s humbling to see the number of people that have supported us, both men and women,” Magale says. “We are really looking forward to what the next couple years will bring.” While the goal for 2019 is to continue to expand distribution, a distillery is still part of the long-term plan for Legado Spirits. “The people we’ve talked to, they would just love to see a distillery tasting room open in the city,” Magale says. “I think Sacramento would really back us up when the time is right.” Ω for cocktail recipes and information on where to purchase legado spirits, visit rdmlegado.com.

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02.14.19 | SN&R | 29

for the week of february 14

by maxfield morris

POst events Online FOR FRee at newsreview.com/sacramento

MUSIC THURSDAY, 2/14 JOan OsBORne: Katie Knipp, SAMMIES

PHOTO COURTESY OF CROCKER ART MUSEUM/SUZANNE HAMBLETON

Celebrate Black History Month at the Crocker.

sun

Black History Month Celebration CroCker Art MuseuM, 11AM, no Cover Old Blue “Rosa Parks” bus, take part in arts activities based on the work of Jacob Lawrence and take advantage of children’s entertainment from Julian Dixon and his Tuba Time Tunnel and storyteller Diane Ferlatte. The BlyueRose Dance Project will provide a performing primer on the history of the African-American experience. 216 O Street, crockerart.org.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Crocker is opening its many doors to the public, free of charge. The Festivals festivities are plentiful and diverse. Thrive Choir, an incredibly distinct vocal group from Oakland, will perform songs of revolution. Black and Beautiful Artisans Marketplace will be present, featuring local artisans’ wares. Visitors can take in Sacramento Regional Transit’s

nominee for 2019 Artist of the Year and best blues artist, will be opening for Joan Osborne. 7pm, $50. The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for Performing Arts, 2700 Capitol Ave.

tHe lanGstOn HuGHes PROJeCt: The Ron McCurdy Quartet will perform “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods of Jazz” in honor of Black History Month. The show will pay homage to Langston Hughes’ poem and pay tribute to the 1960s civil rights struggle. 7:30pm, no cover. Sacramento State, 6000 J St.

FRIDAY, 2/15 BORn OF OsiRis: The progressive metalcore band will play on their The Simulation tour. 6:30pm, $20. Ace of Spades, 1417 R St.

CeleBRatiOn OF JOni MitCHell FeatuRinG KiMBeRlY FORD: Kimberly Ford will perform

music of Joni Mitchell. 7pm, $22. Orchard Creek Ballroom, 965 Orchard Creek Lane in Lincoln.

JOHn CRaiGie: Folk artist John Craigie will perform with rock group the Coffis Brothers. 8pm, $20-$23. Sutter Creek Theatre, 44 Main St. in Sutter Creek.

RiCHaRD MaRX: The Chicagoan will perform music and more. If you purchase the VIP meet-and-greet pass, you’ll get a chance to meet with Marx and take a photograph with him. 7:30pm, $35-$100. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

ROCKaPella: The a capella group will perform

live music using their voices. 7pm, $49. Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, 2700 Capitol Ave.

val staR & FRanKie anD tHe DeFenDeRs: SAMMIE-nominated group Frankie & the Defenders perform rockabilly music and will be performing with Val Star. 9pm, $7-$12. Opera House Saloon Roseville, 411 Lincoln St. in Roseville.

SATURDAY, 2/16

tiCKet winDOw MUSE There’s still a chance to catch Muse on their Simulation tour, brought to you by Alt 94.7. 3/7, 7:30pm, $58.50-$400, on sale now. Golden 1 Center, ticketmaster.com.

KIKAgAKU MOYO The psychedelic

band from Tokyo will perform along with the Mattson 2 and Liquid Lights by Mad Alchemy. 3/8, 9pm, $15-$18, on sale now. Harlow’s, ticketfly.com.

TYLER CARTER Along with Nerv

and Zach Van Dyke, the R&B artist is performing on his Moonshine Tour Pt. 2. 3/10, 6:30pm, $15, on sale now. Holy Diver, eventbrite.com.

RICHARD gLAZIER Local pianist

will be performing for his new CD, Pure Imagination—Great Songs from the Stage and Screen. 3/16 & 3/17, 7:30pm and 2pm,

30 | SN&r | 02.14.19

aCe OF sPaDes BiRtHDaY BasH: Ace of

Please buy a ticket. Think of the children.

$15.50-$39, on sale now. Harris Center, harriscenter.com.

ARLO gUTHRIE The folk storyteller storyteller is touring for the 50th anniversary anniversary of “Alice’s Restaurant” with Sarah Lee Guthrie. 3/29, 7:30pm, $45-$85, on sale now. Harris Center, harriscenter.com.

THE LIL SMOKIES This

bluegrass group from Montana Montana will be performing their signature bluegrass music.

4/20, 6:30pm, $15-$18, on sale now. Goldfield Trading Post, eventbrite.com.

WHITE DENIM Playing

with the Once and Future Band, White Denim bring

Discuss, Danny.

their Austin, Texas sound to Sacramento.

4/24, 8pm, $20-$30, on sale now. Harlow’s, ticketfly.com.

DANNY gLOvER The Hollywood “actorvist” will be speaking in a “actorvist” moderated lecture in the Folsom moderated Lake College Speakers Series. Lake

4/29, 7:30pm, $12-$68, on sale now. Harris Center, harriscenter.com. Harris

IIRON MAIDEN The Legacy

of the Beast tour brings Iron Maiden to Sacramento, and the Raven Age will also perform. 9/9, 7:30pm, $45.91$470, on sale now. Golden 1 Center, ticketmaster.com.

Spades turns eight years old and will host performers Arden Park Roots, the Philharmonik, the Color Wild, Riotmaker, Demon in Me and Centersight. 6pm, $10. Ace of Spades, 1417 R St.

Bilal: The American R&B singer-songwriter will perform along with special guests yet to be announced. 9pm, $20-$30. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

CaMellia sYMPHOnY ORCHestRa: The Camellia Symphony Orchestra will perform Past, Present and Future, a selection of musical pieces from composers Julia Perry, Florence Price, Chris Castro and William Grant Still. 7:30pm, $8-$30. C.K. McClatchy High School Auditorium, 306 Freeport Blvd.

CHRistOPHeR titus: The comedian and actor will be performing his special; the evening is known as “The Right Amount of Wrong.” 8pm, $25-$45. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

snr c a le nd a r @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Online listings will be considered for print. Print listings are edited for space and accuracy. Deadline for print listings is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Deadline for NightLife listings is midnight Sunday. Send photos and reference materials to calendar editor Maxfield Morris at snrcalendar@newsreview.com.

SUNDAY, 2/17 tHe GReat COMPOseRs CHaMBeR MusiC seRies: Violinist Chase Spruill, violist Robert Levine, pianist Andrei Baumann and cellist Susan Lamb Cook will perform chamber music from composers Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Babadjanian. Cook gathered the group together. 2pm, $25-$35. Harris Center, 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

MetalaCHi: This band that plays a combination of heavy metal and mariachi music will perform at Denio’s Farmers Market. noon, no cover. Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet in Roseville.

stanDaRDs: The Los Angeles-based math rock band will perform with Placerville math rock group Find Yourself and Sacramento-based rock group the Seafloor Cinema. 6:30pm, $10. Momo Sacramento, 2708 J St.

MONDAY, 2/18 seRenGeti: The Chicago-based hip-hop artist will perform with local groups So Much Light, Sparks Across Darkness and Comfort Creature. 7pm, $10-$15. Momo Sacramento, 2708 J St.

TUESDAY, 2/19 inteRnatiOnal GuitaR niGHt: Brian Gore presents this evening of guitar players featuring Luca Stricagnoli, Antoine Boyer and Samuelito. They all will perform with guitars, celebrating the many sounds and types of music that the guitar can make. 7:30pm, $18-$38. Harris Center, 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

leFtOveR CRaCK: The punk band Leftover Crack will perform with Days N Daze, Cop/ Out and Skullcrack. 7pm, $20. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

steve GRanD: The openly gay singersongwriter will perform on his Up Close and Personal tour. 7pm, $25-$40. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

WEDNESDAY, 2/20 PaniC! at tHe DisCO: The Brendan Uriefronted pop band will perform downtown in Sacramento. The show is sold out. 7pm, sold out. Golden 1 Center, 500 David J. Stern Walk.

FOOD & DRINK THURSDAY, 2/14 saCRaMentO RiveRtRain valentine’s DinneR: Sacramento RiverTrain invites you to take a ride on a train with your Valentine’s sweetheart. There will be three courses of food and plenty of time for snuggling, hanging out in a train car and taking it easy. 6:30pm, $105. Sacramento RiverTrain, 400 N. Harbor Blvd.

valentine’s DaY DesseRt PaiRinG: Crooked Lane Brewing Company offers this dessert pairing that includes desserts from local bakers and Loomis Basin Brewing Company. Each ticket includes a total of 15 ounces of beer and three desserts that pair with the beers. 3pm, $16. Crooked Lane Brewing

THURSDAY, 2/14

Love Under the Stars powerhouSe SCienCe Center, 6pm, $10-$15

Love is often portrayed as an inexplicable feeling, a cosmically ordained miracle so monumentally rare and special. Take time out of your Valentine’s Day to MUSEUMS blow that notion out of the water and get some muchneeded perspective. Powerhouse Science Center shares some of the science behind attraction with this adults-only night. From the pheromones that attract us to other humans to the forces that attract celestial bodies together, come have a drink and get your coldly scientific romantic fix. 3615 Auburn Boulevard, powerhousesc.org.

GOLDFIELD TRADING POST: Sacramento

THE GUILD THEATER: A Memory, A Monologue,

Emerging Artist Showcase. The Siren Events puts on this evening of talented Sacramentans sharing their unique skills and performances with you. These people have only been performing for a few years at most, so come watch and even share some of your feedback with these folks. Sunday 2/17, 7pm. $7-$12. 1630 J St.

A Rant & A Prayer. This V-Day Sacramento production shares a number of stories on stage and seeks to end violence against women. It was edited by Eve Ensler and explores a number of diverse voices, portrayed by local people. Saturday 2/16, 6pm. $25. 2828 35th St.

HARRIS CENTER: Defending the Caveman. Rob Becker’s comedic play deals with relationships between men and women. It strives to be funny, to make you laugh and maybe to make you think a little bit—about your own relationships, perhaps. Through 2/15. $42$52. 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL WEISS

IMAGINATION THEATER: Vanities. Jack Heifner’s Company, 536 Grass Valley Highway in Auburn.

VALENTINE’S DINNER: Have the Sacramento Co-Op prepare your Valentine’s Day dinner at this five-course meal. There will be wine served with each course, along with a delicious spread of dinner including beet, citrus and kale salad, pork tenderloin in a cherry port sauce and other delicious gourmet foods. Bill Damian will be setting the mood by playing harp music. 6pm, $85$95. Community Learning Center & Cooking School, 2820 R St.

VALENTINE’S DINNER: Freeport Wine Country Inn & Bistro invites you to spend your special, romantic meal with them, and also to book a room if you want. There will be jazz guitar music from Chaz Mully on Thursday and violin from Giorgi Khokhobashvili on Friday, both at 5 p.m. 5pm, no cover. Freeport Wine Country Inn & Bistro, 820 Freeport Blvd.

SATURDAY, 2/16 PORT & CHOCOLATE AT JULIETTA WINERY: Taste some port and chocolate at Julietta Winery in Clarksburg. There will be music performed by Tressa Gaye and a band, and Che Buono will be selling food from their food truck. Noon, no cover. Julietta Winery, 51221 Clarksburg Road in Clarksburg.

WEDNESDAY, 2/20 HEALTHY COOKING ON A BUDGET: Sac Activist School at Sol Collective brings this cooking class to you. This month’s recipe is a vegan meal of three-bean chili and corn bread. See the event highlight and a photo of pound cake that looks like corn bread on this page, to the right. 6pm, $5-$10. Sol Collective, 2574 21st St.

FILM THURSDAY, 2/14 VALENTINES DAY LOVE JONES FILM SCREENING: Watch Love Jones on Valentine’s Day at the Brickhouse. The romantic drama stars Larenz Tate and Nia Long as two artists and lovers who happen to meet and become romantically involved. Find out what happens next in this romance, or relive what happens next. 6pm, no cover. The Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex, 2837 37th St.

CASABLANCA: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in their starring roles in this classic film. With quotable lines and iconic scenes, this story of love during wartime never ceases to be dramatic. At the end of the movie, you may ask the reel-to-reel operator to “play it

again,” but you won’t be talking about the song “As Time Goes By.” 7pm, $10.50. The Tower Theatre, 2508 Land Park Drive.

SATURDAY, 2/16 THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: Spend your Valentine’s Day with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and all the fun musical mayhem that goes on in the Halloween classic. Amber’s Sweets will shadowcast the film, and the audience is encouraged to participate in the cinematic fun. Costumes are encouraged 10pm, $20-$30. Colonial Theatre, 3522 Stockton Blvd.

COMEDY LAUGHS UNLIMITED COMEDY CLUB: Rodger Lizaola. Lizaola will perform his comedy set. Lizaola performed on the first season of Laughs and was a two-time finalist in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition and the Seattle International Comedy Competition. Through 2/17. $10. 1207 Front St.

PUNCH LINE: John Heffron. The stand-up comedian known for his comedy and appearance on Last Comic Standing, as well as other appearances on other comedy shows, John Heffron will perform. Through 2/16. $25. Grant Lyon. The Santa Cruz comedian who won the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and acts as a character in the show Corporate will perform. Through 2/17. $16. 2100 Arden Way, Suite 225.

play about women is directed by Alisyn Gularte. Take in the comedy about three women and their experiences growing up and maturing as people. Through 2/24. $18. 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville.

ON STAGE B STREET THEATRE: House on Haunted Hill. B Street’s adaptation of the 1959 horror film features a contest the prize for which is $10,000. The many silly caricatures of horror movie tropes will leave you laughing, as this is a comedy. Sunday 2/17, 2pm. $20-$47. 2700 Capitol Ave.

the Paycock. California Stage shares this story of Ireland in the wake of the country’s 100th year of independence. It’s a play about poverty and trying to make ends meet and keeping a family together despite war and disaster and famine and poverty. Catch it while it’s still running. Through 2/17. $15$20. 2215 J St. duction tells the story of a teenage girl who flees America to live with her uncle in Costa Rica. The two must learn to communicate and bond to deal with both of their situations. Through 2/24. $22-$42. 2215 J St.

poets come together to compete for a pot of money. They’ll share poetry and their experiences and you, the audience, will be invited to listen and potentially to judge. With host Sangria running the show, this night of slamming will feature local performers. Friday 2/15, 8pm. No cover. 1414 16th St.

Diane Keaton. Take in the rest of the Sacramento Speakers Series, starting with Keaton speaking to you. You’ll have to subscribe to the rest of the series, which includes Marlee Matlin and Dan Buettner at $75 an evening. Wednesday 2/20, 8pm. $75. 1400 J St.

GOLDEN 1 CENTER: Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream. Disney takes to the ice, telling the stories of five different heroines, including Moana, Anna, Belle and more. Check out the stage pick on page 24 for more details about the performers who portray Moana and Anna, as they are originally from Sacramento. Through 2/18. $20. 500 David J. Stern Walk.

THE COMMUNITY CENTER THEATER: Hamlet. Sacramento Ballet shares Shakespeare’s tragedy in ballet form, choreographed by Stephen Mills. Check out a more detailed preview on page 24 in our Stage section. Through 2/17. $25-$80. 1301 L St.

Cherríe Moraga will speak about her feminism and her work, including writing, poetry, essays and plays. Thursday 2/14, 4pm. No cover. 1 Shields Ave. in Davis.

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: A

LUNA’S CAFE: Sac Unified Poetry Slam. Ten

SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER COMPLEX:

UC DAVIS: Cherríe Moraga in Conversation.

Haunt. Come to this haunted house experience for Valentine’s Day, featuring weird, wacky and wild horrors for your terror. See the comical event highlight on page 32. Through 2/14. $27.99-$37.99. 4909 Auburn Blvd.

presented by Scream Queens Gorelesque. This romance with a distinct dose of darkness is a burlesque, drag, variety show and gorelesque performance that will make your Valentine’s Day experience the talk of the town. Featuring performances by Miss Hysteria, Miss Kitty, Lady Grimm and more, you’ll have a truly charmed evening. Friday 2/15, 9pm. $25-$35. 1023 Front St.

CAPITAL STAGE: Slowgirl. Capital Stage’s pro-

duction by local playwright and actor Jayna Anderson deals with a single mother considering what would happen to her child were she to die. $18-$20. 1721 25th St.

ULTIMATE TERROR SCREAM PARK: Valentine

KNOBS AND KNOCKERS: My Bloody Valentine

CALIFORNIA STAGE THEATER COMPANY: Juno &

THE WILKERSON THEATRE INSIDE THE CALIFORNIA STAGE COMPLEX: The Guardians. This pro-

Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. This production from Green Valley Theatre while they’re on the move features a story about Monty Navarro, a character who finds out he is in line for a throne as a series of deaths gets him closer and closer to the wealth and influence he wants. Through 2/24. $20. 1300 N St.

ART BLUE LINE ARTS: Crocker Kingsley 3rd Saturday Art Walk and Reception. It’s the final Crocker Kingsley reception, featuring discussion about the artwork, food, drinks and art appreciation. Saturday 2/16, 4pm. No cover. 405 Vernon St., Suite 100 in Roseville.

KENNEDY GALLERY: The Collective Works of Steve Memering. Come appreciate the artwork of Steve Memering. Through 3/2. No cover. 1931 L St.

CALENDAR LISTINGS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

STAB! COMEDY THEATER: Rainbows & Shit-A Queer Comics Showcase. Amy Estes hosts this evening of local queer comedians performing stand-up. Friday 2/15, 9pm. $8. Top Hats and Hoodies. Comedy meets magic in this show that combines the two for your entertainment. Kyle Littleton hosts the evening. Littleton was recently on Penn & Teller’s magic show, Penn & Teller: Fool Us and will perform. Friday 2/15, 8pm. $10. Fat Chicks on Top-Live Podcast Recording. Auntie Vice and Wendy Lewis share their podcast, Fat Chicks on Top, which features comedians, poets, porn stars and more. Saturday 2/16, 10pm. $5. 1710 Broadway.

SUDWERK: What is BAE? A Sketch Show and a Play. Bike City Theatre shares their sketch comedy show with the audience at Sudwerk Brewery. Tickets for this show can include a beer and chocolate flight. Through 2/23. $5-$15. 2001 2nd Ave. in Davis.

WEDNESDAY, 2/20

Healthy Eating on a Budget Sol ColleCtive, 6pm, $5-$10

As part of Sol Collective’s Sac Activist school, it hosts a monthly healthy eating demonstration. This FOOD & DRINK month features a vegan three-bean chili and cornbread, meaning you’ll see chefs put together the meal and even get to eat some of it. The price range is a sliding scale and no one is turned away due to a lack of money. Remember—an activist still has to eat, so join Sol Collective for some tips. 2574 21st Street, facebook.com/ solcollective/events. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES DE LUVIO

02.14.19 | SN&R | 31

see more eVents and submit your own at newsreview.com/sacramenTo/calendar

BooKs

CaLendar ListinGs Continued From PaGe 31

PenCe GaLLery: Against the Grain. Michael Stevens is the exhibitor for this show, featuring sculpture and concepts of American childhood in the 1950s. through 4/3. no cover. Elemental Markers. Garrett Masterson is the exhibitor for this show, featuring sculpture and concepts of geology. through 2/28. no cover. 212 D St. in Davis.

soL CoLLeCtiVe: Convergence. This show brings together a group of artists from Sacramento telling a variety of stories. The artists include Alfredo, Ivan Vega, Lurac, Ramona Garcia and Tsumnu. saturday 2/16, 6pm. no cover. 2574 21st St.

tim CoLLom GaLLery: Beyond Silence at the Tim Collom Gallery. Maxine Solomon shares this artwork comprised of landscapes grand and imagined. through 2/28. no cover. 915 20th St.

Jan sHrem and maria manetti sHrem museum oF art: Exhibition Xicanx Futurity. Six Xicana artists’ work is featured: Celia Herrera Rodríguez, Felicia Montes, Gina Aparicio, Gilda Posada, Margaret ‘Quica’ Alarcón, and Melanie Cervantes. through 5/5. no cover. 254 Old Davis Road in Davis.

museums PowerHouse sCienCe Center: Love Under The Stars. Adults take to the Powerhouse Science Center for a lovely evening exploring laws of attraction. Check out the event highlight on page 31 for even more elucidating details. thursday 2/14, 6pm. $10-$15. 3615 Auburn Blvd.

saCramento CHiLdren’s museum: Science Sundays. The Children’s Museum shares a special Sunday with the museum-going public, with science themed activities and science experiments going on throughout the day. through 3/10. $6-$8.50. 2701 Prospect Park Drive, Suite 120 in Rancho Cordova.

wednesday, 2/20 GoLd Country writers douG Fortier: Mendocino writer Doug Fortier will share this talk about how to make critique groups work well for authors. 10am., no cover. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1279 High St. in Auburn.

sPorTs & ouTdoors Thursday, 2/14 VaLentine’s day CarriaGe rides: Spend Valentine’s Day with a loved one and take a carriage ride around El Dorado Hills Town Center. 4pm, $15-$30. El Dorado Hills Town Center, 4364 Town Center Blvd. in El Dorado Hills.

VaLentine’s day Party: Wear red or pink to

this party and get a free pass to skate. 6pm, $8-$10. Iceland Skating Rink, 1430 Del Paso

Blvd.

Friday, 2/15 suPerHeroes and ViLLains sKate niGHt: Take to Skatetown for an evening of costumed fun. There will be games, prizes, a DJ, laser shows and more fun. 7pm, $10. Skatetown Ice Arena in Roseville.

saTurday, 2/16 2019 saCramento runninG assoCiation HaLL oF Fame and annuaL aCHieVement awards banQuet: See the best Sacramento runners who are being honored this year. 6pm, $55. Holiday Inn Arena, 300 J St.

birdinG For FamiLies: Walk in nature and see what kinds of birds there are living in nature. All levels of birdwatchers are encouraged to show up. 10:30am, $5. Effie Yeaw Nature Center, 2850 San Lorenza Way in Carmichael.

FourmidabLe 50K: Climb more than 6,000 feet over 50 kilometers in Auburn. 7am, $35-

$65. 298 Pacific Ave in Auburn.

Thursday, 2/14

Valentine Haunt Ultimate terror Scream Park, 7Pm, $27.99-$37.99

Get ready to take that next step in your relationship by spending Valentine’s Day the way it was originally on staGe intended: being chased around by monsters in a terrifying locale with your forever-bae. Scream Park puts on this holiday-themed event that pairs cutesy Valentine’s props with disturbing imagery. Whether you’ve been together for a month or 50 years, this is one date you and your partner will never be able to get out of your heads. 4909 Auburn Boulevard, valentinehauntsacramento.com.

SN&R

02.14.19

PhoTo courTesy oF scream ParK caliFornia

Sunday, 2/17

A Closer Look at Ants EffiE YEaw NaturE CENtEr, 1:30pm, No CovEr

After what’s sure to be an exhausting Valentine’s Day week, take some time off from human interactions and instead focus on SportS & outdoorS ant-sized interactions in this ant-themed hike and talk from an Effie Yeaw naturalist. You’ll go through the nature center looking for the six-legged insects and their impacts. Did you know that ants from other ecosystems often end up imported into and invading other locales? Sacramento’s got its fair share of native and non-native insects—come get some insight. 2850 San Lorenza Way in Carmichael, sacnaturecenter.com/events.

uNdY ruNWALK: The Colorectal Cancer Alliance runs this underwear-themed run/ walk that raises some funds for cancer awareness and prevention and screening outreach. 7:30am, $35-$40. William Land Park, 421 Freeport Blvd.

Sunday, 2/17 CLoSEr LooK At ANtS: See what’s going on in the world of ants from an Effie Yeaw naturalist on a hike. 1:30pm, no cover. Effie Yeaw Nature Center, 2850 San Lorenza Way in Carmichael.

LGBTQ FRIday, 2/15 SACprIdE 2019 FoCuS GroupS: As SacPride has changed over the years, it has evolved and grown. Now, the Sacramento LGBT Community Center leads focus groups to determine how to move forward with the event. 5:30pm, no cover. The Sacramento LGBT Community Center, 1927 L St.

PHOTO COuRTESy OF S. RaE

MOnday, 2/18 SAC StAtE BLood drIVE: Give blood at Sacramento State in the University Union Ballroom. 10am, no cover. Sacramento State, 6000 J St.

CLaSSES THuRSday, 2/14 ALL BoY’S FrEE JAZZ/tAp CLASS: Cynthia’s Dance Center shares this dance class for boys ages 7-12 that focuses on their rhythm and technical skills. 4:30pm, no cover. Cynthia’s Dance Center, 304 South Lexington Drive in Folsom.

SaTuRday, 2/16 KENNY tHoMAS BASKEtBALL ACAdEMY: Former Sacramento King and NBA player Kenny Thomas holds this basketball academy designed to engage and empower youths. 9am, $75. American River College Theatre, 4700 College Oak Drive.

MoodMENt dANCE WorKSHopS: Get dancing

TaKE aCTIOn THuRSday, 2/14 2019 pCN ANd pCoH opEN ForuM HouSING: Placer County housing issues are the subjects of this forum that highlights perspectives of landlords and other involved parties. 9am, no cover. Maidu Community Center, Meeting Room 1 in Roseville.

with this motivational, music-set dance class. Classes are part of a four-week series for adults, and all skill levels are welcome. 2:30pm, $10. Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St.

pAINt, SIp ANd CHoCoLAtE: Drink some wine, have some chocolate and do some painting. Bring a person you’d like to paint, eat chocolate and sip wine with. There will be a brief demo of artwork and then you can start painting. 7pm, $30-$50. Sol Collective, 2574 21st St.

SaTuRday, 2/16

MOnday, 2/18

2Nd ANNuAL purpLE CArpEt FuNdrAISING GALA dIAMoNdS ANd pEArLS WHItE NIGHt:

poLYMEr CLAY MooN pHASES: Verge Center

This evening raises awareness of opioid dependency and the Purple Dove treatment center. The gala includes a purple carpet and a silent auction. 6:30pm, $10-$540. The Falls Event Center, 240 Conference Center Drive in Roseville.

Sunday, 2/17 NutS ANd BErrIES rAFFLE FuNdrAISEr: This

for the Arts presents this artistic class featuring polymer clay. You’ll go through the phases of the moon and create them in art. 6:30pm, $35-$45. Verge Center for the Arts, 625 S St.

StoCKS ANd BrotHS (dEMoNStrAtIoN): Learn about stock and broth from Chef Dave. You’ll get to taste the things Chef Dave makes. 6pm, $35-$45. Community Learning Center & Cooking School, 2820 R St.

fundraiser raffle supports the Wildlife Care Association. There will be an exotic wildlife show with Conservation Ambassadors and more exciting events. Noon, $75. Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse, 7997 California Ave. in Fair Oaks.

02.14.19 | SN&R | 33

THURSDAY 2/14 ArmAdillo music

207 F ST., DAvIS, (530) 758-8058

BAdlAnds

2003 k ST., (916) 448-8790

Poprockz 90s Night, 7pm, call for cover

BAr 101

101 MAIN ST., ROSEvIllE, (916) 774-0505

Blue lAmp

1400 AlHAMbRA blvD., (916) 455-3400

The BoArdwAlk

PHOTO cOURTESY OF lINDA AkERbERG

Danko Jones with Nashville Pussy and more 8pm Sunday, $20-$25 Harlow’s Hard rock

FRIDAY 2/15

SATURDAY 2/16

Necessary Noise and the Escape Agency, 7pm, no cover

Didar Singh Khalsa, 1pm, no cover

Tiffany “New York” Pollard, 10pm, $10-$20

Spectacular Saturdays, 7pm, call for cover

Orion Walsh, 9:30pm, no cover

Working Man Blues, 9pm, no cover

Open-Mic, 7:30pm, W, no cover; Monday Night Trivia, 6:30pm, M, no cover

Storytellers: A Night of Worship, 8pm, $10

Club Klymax, 8:30pm, $20-$35

The God Bombs, BARK, AL1CE and Killer Couture, 8pm, T, $10

Malcom Bliss, Diversity of One and Dreams of Madness, 8pm, $10

Calling All Captains, Settle Your Scores, Gardenside and more, 7pm, T, $10

Trapicana, 10pm, W, call for cover

cApiTol GArAGe

Valentine’s Day Dinner, 4:30pm, $25

Capitol Fridays, 10pm, no cover before 10:30pm

Dinner and a Drag Show, 7:30pm, $5$25; Karaoke, 9:30pm, call for cover

1013 k ST., (916) 476-3356

2019 Oscar Nominated Short Films Animation, 7pm, $14

Richard Marx, 7:30pm, $35-$100

Christopher Titus: The Right Amount Of Wrong, 8pm, $25-$45

FAces

Faces Karaoke, 9pm, call for cover

KCL Badboys, call for time and cover

50 Shades of Faces Ball, call for time and cover

FATher pAddY’s irish puBlic house

Lucy’s Bones, 6pm, call for cover

The Dead Beats, 8pm, call for cover

Tilted Halos, 8pm, call for cover

River City Whiskey Society Event, 6pm, W, call for cover

Fox & Goose

Michael B. Justis, 8pm, no cover

According to Bazooka and Natalie Cortez, 9pm, $5

Brian Croom and Michelle Lewis, 9pm, $5

Open-Mic Night, 7:30pm, M, no cover

Golden 1 cenTer

Disney On Ice, 7pm, $10-$135

1500 k ST., (916) 444-3633

cresT TheATre

2000 k ST., (916) 448-7798 435 MAIN ST., WOODlAND, (530) 668-1044

GoldField TrAdinG posT hAlFTime BAr & Grill

Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm, W, no cover

Pool Party, 9pm, no cover

Every Damn Monday, 8pm, M, no cover; Noche Latina, 9pm, T, no cover

Skid Roses, 9pm, $10

College Night, 10pm, call for cover

2708 J ST., (916) 441-4693

The Midnight Players Valentine’s Old School Jam, 10pm, $10-$12

Bilal, 9pm, $20-$30

hideAwAY BAr & Grill

Draw Pinky and the Brangs, 5pm, $5

Sounds for Hounds with Shannon Shaw, Latitude and more, 6pm, $15-$20

hArlow’s

2565 FRANklIN blvD., (916) 455-1331

Danko Jones, Nashville Pussy and Prima Donna, 8pm, $20-$25

Trivia Factory, 7pm, M, no cover; Cards Against Humanity, 7pm, W, no cover

1910 Q ST., (916) 706-2465 1517 21ST ST.

Steve Grand, 7pm, T, $25-$40; Dead Meadow, 8pm, W, $18-$22

Shitshow Karaoke, 8pm, M, no cover; Record Roundup, 8pm, T, no cover

hiGhwATer

holY diVer

Panic! At the Disco, Two Feet and Conan Gray, 7pm, W, sold out

Disney On Ice, 7pm, $10-$135

Let’s Get Quizzical, 7pm, T, no cover; Cornhole, 6pm, W, no cover

Brian Lee Bender, 9pm, call for cover

5681 lONETREE blvD., ROcklIN, (916) 626-3600

Boot Scootin Sundays, 8pm, $5

Sacramento Emerging Artist Showcase, 7pm, $7-$12

1630 J ST., (916) 476-5076

with Prince Casimiro 7pm Friday, $20 Holy Diver Hip-hop

B.P.M. & Sunday Funday Remixed, 4pm, call for cover

Brothers in Harmony Valentine’s Day Show, 8:30pm, $10

500 DAvID J STERN WAlk, (888) 915-4647

J. Stalin

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 2/18-2/20

9426 GREENbAck lN., ORANGEvAlE, (916) 358-9116

1001 R ST., (916) 443-8825

PHOTO cOURTESY OF AUDIblE TREATS

SUNDAY 2/17

Rayven Justice, 7pm, $15

J. Stalin, Prince Casimiro, Nave Suave, Conner Helm and more, 7pm, $20

Roswell, Soulwood, Handle and the Imported, 7pm, $10-$12

Pacific Sunrise, IAMsentMee, AR. WEST, Traitors, Anglemaker, VCTMS, Desolist Graham McLaren and more, 6:30pm, $12 and more, 6:30pm, M, $12-$15

kupros

Live Music with Kyle Rowland, 5pm, T, no cover

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

916.774.0505 lunch/dinner 7 days a week

Voted best dance club in Sacramento by KCRA A LIST 2016-17-18

fri feb 15th

live music

Anti Valentines Singles party plus James harkin 7:30pm - 10:00pm

fri mar 1st

mardi gras Bash with free Cajun Boil 6:00pm - 8:00pm

sat mar 2nD

3/1

Funk shui Band

2/16

working Man Blues Band

3/2

toast & JaM

3/8

the clay dogs

steve stizzo trio (6:30PM)

3/9

the Bongo Furys

3/15

the stoneBerries

turnBuckle Blues review

3/16

the storMcasters

3/22

Merry Mac Band

saMantha sharP

3/23

todd Morgan

2/22

sat mar 16th

Bobby Zoppi Band St. patties day party

sun mar 17th

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. Repeat.

St. patties day open at 2pm with 5$ corned beef & cabbage 2 STepS fRom downTown | 916.402.2407

orion walsh

2/21

Kevin’s annual B day Bash free prime rib dinner 6:00pm - 8:00pm

1320 Del paso blvD in olD north sac

2/15

1217 21st St • 916.440.0401 www.KuprosCrafthouse.com

SToneyInn.Com foR nIghTLy dRInK SpeCIALS & eVenTS

34 | SN&R | 02.14.19

2/23

101 main street roseville, ca 95678

Fri & sat 9:30PM - close 21+ •

/Bar101roseville

SubMit youR calendaR liStingS foR fRee at newSReview.coM/SacRaMento/calendaR THursday 2/14 Luna’s Cafe & JuiCe Bar 1414 16TH sT., (916) 737-5770

friday 2/15

saTurday 2/16

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

Midtown BarfLy

sunday 2/17

MOnday-Wednesday 2/18-2/20

Zac Bauman, Kelly Jean, Emily Weiss and Jenn Rogar, 7pm, $6

Jazz Jam with Byron Colburn, 8pm, W, $5

Live Salsa, 8:30pm, $15

Club Necromancy’s Goth Prom, 9pm, $5-$8

Factor IX, 9pm, call for cover

Mello Mondays with Hans Eberbach, 7pm, M, no cover

Digital Roses, 10pm, $10

The Anxious Admirals, Country Club and Soft Nerve, 6:30pm, $7

Roman Pilot, Subtlety and Plots, 6pm, $10-$12

Standards, Find Yourself and the Seafloor Cinema, 6:30pm, $10

Serengeti, So Much Light, Sparks Across Darkness and more, 7pm, M, $10-$15

oLd ironsides

Crooning Couple Show: Lovelorn and J&M, 7:30pm, $5

Brewberries, the Breakers and the O’Mally Sisters, 8pm, $7

Lipstick! Presents We Are Your Friends, 9pm, $5

PaLMs PLayhouse

The Gold Souls and the Midnight Dip, 8pm, $10-$20

Mark Hummel’s Golden State-Lone Star revue, 8pm, $16-$20

Nell and Jim Band CD Release Show, 8pm, $16-$20

PLaCerviLLe PuBLiC house

414 Main sT., Placerville, (530) 303-3792

Ol’ Republic Tap Takeover and Trivia Night, 5pm, no cover

Sicky Betts, 8pm, call for cover

Jason Weeks, 8pm, call for cover

Bloody Mary Sunday with Bartender Ruth, 11am, no cover

Find Yourself and Leaph, 8pm, M, no cover

Powerhouse PuB

Ariel Jean Band, 9:30pm, call for cover

8 Track Massacre, 10pm, call for cover

Metalachi, 11pm, call for cover

Aki Kumar, 3pm, call for cover

Scarlets, 8:30pm, T, call for cover; 98 Rock Local Licks, 9pm, W, call for cover

Pop 40 Dance with DJ Larry, 9pm, $5

Sunday Night Dance Party, 9pm, no cover

High Fidelity: Vinyl Night, 9pm, M, no cover

Live Music with Whiskey & Stitches, 6pm, Culinerdy Cruzer, 5pm, call for cover call for cover

Live music with Güero, 4pm, call for cover

Buck & Sadies, 5pm, M, call for cover

shady Lady

Jimmy Toor, 9pm, no cover

Humble Wolf, 9pm, no cover

Alex Jenkins, 9pm, no cover

soCiaL nightCLuB

Love Affair, 10pm, no cover before 11pm

Romeo Reyes, 10pm, no cover before 10:30pm

1119 21sT sT., (916) 341-0277

MoMo saCraMento 2708 J sT., (916) 441-4693

1901 10TH sT., (916) 442-3504 13 Main sT., WinTers, (530) 795-1825

614 suTTer sT., fOlsOM, (916) 355-8586

the Press CLuB

Valentines Dance: Eighties Night Sacramento, 9pm, $5

saCyard taPhouse

Che Buono Valentine’s Dinner, 4pm, call for cover

2030 P sT., (916) 444-7914 1725 33rd sT., (916) 400-4708 1409 r sT., (916) 231-9121 1000 K sT., (916) 947-0434

stoney’s roCkin rodeo

Live Music with Heath Williamson, 5:30pm, M, no cover

1320 del PasO Blvd., (916) 927-6023

Country Thunder Thursdays, 8pm, no cover

Anti-Valentine’s Singles Bash with James Harkin, 7:30pm, $5-$10

Stoney’s Saturdays with Free Line Dance Sunday Funday, 9pm, no cover 21+ Lessons, 7pm, $5

the torCh CLuB

The Rad Trads & Swoon, 9pm, $7

Davey Allen & the Midnights and David Rosale’s Band of Scoundrels, 9pm, $10

Tropicali Flames, 9pm, $8

You Front the Band, 8pm, no cover

Jazz Jam, 8pm, T, no cover; Lola Tried, the Brangs and more, 8:30pm, W, $6

Design a Sign Wooden Sign Making, 7pm, call for cover

Paint at Yolo, 2pm, call for cover

Paint at Yolo Brew, 6:30pm, M, call for cover

904 15TH sT., (916) 443-2797

yoLo Brewing Co.

1520 TerMinal sT., (916) 379-7585

all ages, all the time aCe of sPades

Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, Make Them Suffer and more, 6:30pm, $20

1417 r sT., (916) 930-0220

shine

1400 e sT., (916) 551-1400

siLver orange

922 57TH sT., (916) 228-4169

7:30pm Friday, $35-$100 Crest Sacramento Soft rock

PHOTO cOurTesy Of anTicOn recOrds

Speak Out Sacramento Open-Mic Night, 8pm, W, no cover Capitan Cutiepie, Weep Wave, Knockout and Bad Patterns, 6pm, $5

Richard Marx

Serengeti

Ace of Spades Birthday Bash with Arden Park Roots and more, 6pm, $10

The Shine Jazz Jam, 8pm, no cover

PHOTO cOurTesy Of ricHard Marx

with So Much Light and more 7pm Monday, $10-$15 Momo Sacramento Hip-hop

All new!

Back by popular demand tickets: $47-$67 Box office: Crestsacramento.com phone: (916) 476-3356 runs: 90 minutes Saturday, march 16, 2019

Crest theatre, 1013 K street,

presented by

Doors open: 6:30pm show begins: 7:30pm

sacramento ca, 95814

mike thormton agency 02.14.19 | SN&R | 35

SN&R

02.14.19

For more cannabis news, deals & updates visit capitalcannabisguide.com

a love letter to mary jane See Story

crack down on canna-buSineSS See aSk 420

Big Pete’s cannabis cookies will lift your sweetheart’s mood.

Still, there’s no lingering weediness and the high is a sweetly giddy moodenhancer. It’s easy to see why this one nabbed High Times’ first-place award for best edible in 2017. satorichocolates.com. recommended use: Hand-feed to your loved one—but start small and experiment with potency.

enjoy a cuppa kikoko Sensuali-tea ($40)

Photo by maria ratinova

love on high Five ways to elevate your Valentine’s Day experience by Rachel leibRock

traditionally, valentine’s day evokes thoughts of decadent chocolate and champagne, maybe a fancy dinner paired with a robust, red-jeweled wine. This year, though, it’s time to think (mostly) outside the heart-shaped box. Cannabis, in all its myriad forms, applications and strengths, can make for a heightened celebration of love. And it’s all legal. Whether you’re in a committed relationship, roaming the dating scene or plan to spend another stupid Hallmark holiday alone, here’s SN&R’s guide to five products to get you in the mood.

breathe deep dosist Passion Pen ($40)

Dosist’s line of recyclable vape pens are popular for their expertly measured doses. The Passion Pen, boasting 2.25 milligrams of THC, comes in a sleek white, bulletshaped cartridge that gives off a vibration when the user breathes in the proper

dose (each pen contains 50 hits total). Made with cannabis oil, the blend here is dominated by myrcene with a subtle lift from limonene, a chemical found in citrus fruit peels. Billed as a “stress relieving” formula, it’s supposed to build intimacy with your partner and increase sensuality. The sexytime jury’s still out on that—the resulting vibe just felt lovely and sweet. Which is not a bad thing. At all. dosist.com. recommended use: Inhale and get to kissin’ (or whatever your kink).

box of love big Pete’s valentine’s Gift box ($15.95)

If you’re looking for something more traditionally designed, Big Pete’s Valentine’s Gift Box won’t disappoint. The bright red box contains six individually wrapped cookies—two each of Cinnamon & Sugar, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip. The cookies

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

are small but still pack a punch with 10mg THC. Using an indica strain, they’re sweet with just a slight dank aftertaste and make for a sweet high that leaves you feeling equal parts relaxed and giggly. bigpetestreats.com. recommended use: Paired with your milk of choice, these make for a nice little late post-date snack.

a mild wild Satori wild Strawberries milk chocolate ($11)

These chocolate-covered, cannabis-infused strawberries only have 3 milligrams of THC per piece (three pieces makes for a serving), which makes it convenient to micro-dose to find just the right high, depending on your mood. The dried fruit makes for a nice, slight crunch even if the chocolate coating is a bit waxy. The taste is pleasant enough, though the flavor really begs for a more intense dark chocolate.

This is definitely not your grandma’s cup of chamomile tea. Billed as a libidoenhancing brew, each bag (there are 10 in a tin) features an organic blend of hibiscus, rose petals (it’s an aphrodisiac, but also works for anxiety), lavender, orange peel (for digestion), licorice root and, to literally spice things up a bit, cardamom and cloves. Steeped, the tea exhibits a gorgeous jewel-toned hue and a pleasantly sweet and tart flavor profile. With 7 milligrams of THC per serving, Kikoko’s claim that a cup of this will “intensify the Big O” is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but the overall effect is both mood-lifting and relaxing. kikoko.com. recommended use: Steep a cup, sip and curl up with your sweetie to see what happens.

just chill ediPure california love cbd mix Pack ($16)

What did Snoop Dogg say about California knowing how to party? How about a party of one? The California Love CBD Mix Pack from EdiPure, known for its whimsical candy shop-styled candies, features a selection of 10 sugar crystalcoated fruit flavored gummies, including Lemon Raspberry and Orange Creamsicle. Shaped like the Golden State, each piece has a satisfyingly chewy texture—think stretchy gummy worms or gummy straws. Flavor-wise, the fruit notes are vibrant and, thankfully, not too sweet. The package lists its effects as “stress relief” and “euphoric,” but this CBD-only edible actually delivers more of a super-chill, drowsy mood. edipure.com. recommended use: Pop one and draw a warm bath—solo. Ω

02.14.19

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My love for you is like dividing by zero - it cannot be defined.

SN&R

02.14.19

Dear Mary Jane SN&R’s writer dishes on his 50-year relationship with cannabis by Ken Magri

My darling cannabis, Have we really been together for 50 years? It seems like yesterday that we first met. I was hanging out with friends, playing soccer and you seemed so mysterious. Before long, the two of us were getting acquainted in a ravine behind the school. But your charms didn’t work that day and I kept my distance for months. Our teachers said terrible things about you—and I believed them at first. I even told friends they were fools to like you. When we met again that April, it was like magic. We laughed in the afternoon sun until you quietly slipped away. But we found other moments to share, whether it was at a concert, along the riverbank, or camping in the Sierra. After a while, nothing could keep us apart—not parents, doctors, nor teachers. OK, the cops separated us a few times. I’ll never forget watching you waft through the air the day Jimi Hendrix performed at Cal Expo. As his notes flew by, it felt like I could reach out and touch you both. Amsterdam in the 1990s was delightful. Walking down cobblestone alleys, you had me bouncing off the walls before I found my flat. After the Iron Curtain

came down, I shared you with friends in their East Berlin tenement. And did we really run from police that night in Barcelona? It was foolish, but I would have done anything to find you. Whether standing on mountaintops or below waterfalls, you showed me things I never completely saw before. Yet, my favorite times were riding the Harley, or sitting at home after work. As day lingered into night, you took the world’s worries and sent them flying. Of course, you got me into a lot of trouble. For years you made me feel like a criminal. You could be distant, expensive and unpredictable, vanishing into thin air. My mother never understood you, that’s for sure. But to me, cannabis, you will always epitomize California coolness. Your creativity is endless. You reinvent yourself again and again. You are thought-provoking, funny and I’m still crazy about you. Some day we will part for good, and I suppose critics will say, “He became the fool he warned others about.” But after 50 years, I would grasp you in my hand, take that deep breath and fall in love with you all over again. Ω

After awhile, nothing could keep us apart— not parents, doctors, nor teachers. OK, the cops separated us a few times.

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By Ngaio Bealum

as k 420 @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

The man cracks down I hear the BCC is going get ready for planting after non-licensed pot season. —Mary Joe Dirt shops. Is this true? —Grey Marquette

Yes. According to a recent press release, the state Bureau of Cannabis Control has begun to enforce the laws against having an unlicensed cannabis business. In late January and early February, the bureau shut down two spots, one in Fair Oaks and one in Los Angeles. The BCC, working with the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Division of InvestigationCannabis Enforcement Unit, confiscated about $250,000 in products from the Fair Oaks spot and nearly $30,000 in cash and products (and two guns) from the L.A. business. Oh, and six people at the L.A. spot were arrested on a variety of warrants. It was bound to happen. The BCC has been hinting for months that a crackdown on unlicensed businesses was in the works. It even has a website where folks can report unlicensed operations to the authorities. Listen, the game is the game. Running an unlicensed cannabis shop is against the law, and the authorities are no longer willing to ignore any blatant graymarket shenanigans. If you are running a not-quite-legal canna-business, you may want to think about being a little more discreet in your operations. A storefront will definitely get you busted.

I am planning on doing a small home grow this year and I am wondering if I should be doing anything to

Yes! Now is the time to do all the prep work. First: double check the laws in your area for home grows. While Proposition 64 prevents cities and counties from prohibiting home grows, most cities have very strict rules. Some cities don’t allow outdoor home grows (looking at you, Fresno), but most will let you do it if you follow their guidelines. You might have to build a fence. Then pick a good spot in your garden; a place with good sun and a decent breeze is probably the best spot. Remember that one cannabis plant can grow to be around 12 feet tall and 10 feet around, so make sure you have enough room. The most important thing to do is to get your dirt ready. Good dirt makes for good plants. If you are one of those “green thumb” types, you can find a good recipe for dirt here: monstergardens.com/ SuperSoil-by-TGA-100 gallon-Recipe. If you are like me and you grow at home using the “benevolent neglect” system, just buy some good dirt from the store and mix it in with what you already have. Check out a recent Leafly article about what your dirt should be. Maybe try to introduce a few earthworms into your spot. Worms are great for dirt. Most folks put their plants in the ground in late April, so you have some time to get everything ready, but we all know how fast time can slip away, especially if you are stoned. Ω

Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert. Email him questions at ask420@newsreview.com.

@Ngaio420

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For the week oF February 14, 2019 ARIES (March 21-April 19): When directors of

bad dating signs by JOey GARCIA

our ancestors navigated escapes, adventures and major life decisions according to the stars and planets. Centuries later, we still acknowledge the influences of celestial bodies. Some of us ritualize the appearance of a blood moon by setting intentions that attempt to harness its energy. or we seek insight from astrology. If you believe that the date and time of a person’s birth captures personality traits determined by the cosmos, enjoy the hard-won wisdom of these Sacramento-area residents who have strong ideas on which astrological signs are undateable. “Virgos. They tend to be too self-involved.” Joaquin Razo, 32

When they find something they don’t like, they will almost debase you for it. I say no to Virgos.” LaDonna Lee, 46 “Gemini, definitely. They’re super unpredictable; the dual personality thing is real. Happy one minute and depressed the next. It’s hard to trust a Gemini because you can’t tell what personality will come up next. And Virgos! They’re super passive. They hold in their emotions for a long time and then they just burst.” Stephen Jay Lewis, 24. “Leo guys are a little lazy and arrogant in my opinion.” Ann Feletto, 19

“#Leos. I admit it. My sign is the worst. And Scorpios. They’re super jealous, manipulative, secretive, carry grudges and resent you.”

“Scorpio men. My best closest girlfriends are all Scorpios, but Scorpio men, not good. They’re hyper-masculine, have anger issues, are not understanding of who I am as a person, wouldn’t listen when I tried to explain stuff, just hypermasculine.” Meghan Vanderford, 26. “Whatever sign my ex-wife is.” Russell Collins Stiger, 58

“Leos are dominant and standoffish, not easy to approach. I hate it when people take over conversations and are not good listeners.” Camille Boudreaux, 22 “I’m a strong believer that all behavior is learned. My degree is in sociology. So while I believe some people may show signs related to the star cycles, I want to know what your momma’s sign is because I know a woman’s going to act just like she was taught.” Steve Streeter, 57 “Virgo! They are perfectionistic and persnickety, scrutinizing everything. 46 | SN&R | 02.14.19

@AskJoeyGarcia

“I’m sign neutral and connection real, baby. LOL.” Adam Barker, 44

“#Leos. I admit it. My sign is the worst. And Scorpios. They’re super jealous, manipulative, secretive, carry grudges and resent you.” Lorelei Neft, 23 “I don’t feel any negativity about one over another, but I think Cancer is the best sign.” LaSalle Thompson, 57 hey readers, want to share your opinion of the worst Zodiac sign to date? head over to the ask Joey Facebook page and let us know what you think. Ω

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.

movies say, “It’s a wrap,” they mean that the shooting of a scene has been finished. They may use the same expression when the shooting of the entire film is completed. That’s not the end of the creative process, of course. All the editing must still be done. Once that’s accomplished, the producer may declare that the final product is “in the can” and ready to be released. From what I can determine, Aries, you’re on the verge of being able to say, “It’s a wrap” for one of your own projects. There will be more work before you’re ready to declare, “It’s in the can.” TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to create your own royal throne and sit on it whenever you need to think deep thoughts and formulate important decisions. Make sure your power chair is comfortable as well as beautiful and elegant. To enhance your ability to wield your waxing authority with grace and courage, I also encourage you to fashion your own crown, scepter and ceremonial footwear. They, too, should be comfortable, beautiful and elegant. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1995, astronomer Bob Williams got a strong urge to investigate a small piece of the night sky that most other astronomers regarded as boring. It was near the handle of the constellation known as the Big Dipper. Luckily for him, he could ignore his colleagues because he had been authorized to use the high-powered Hubble Space Telescope for ten days. To the surprise of everyone but Williams, he soon discovered that this seemingly unremarkable part of the heavens is teeming with more than 3,000 galaxies. I suspect you may have a challenge akin to Williams, Gemini. A pet project or crazy notion of yours may not get much support, but I hope you’ll pursue it anyway. I bet your findings will be different from what anyone expects. CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study by the Humane Research Council found that more than 80 percent of those who commit to being vegetarians eventually give up and return to eating meat. A study by the National Institute of Health showed that only about 36 percent of alcoholics are able to achieve full recovery. And we all know how many people make New Year’s resolutions to exercise more often, but then stop going to the gym by February. That’s the bad news. The good news, Cancerian, is that during the coming weeks you will possess an enhanced power to stick with any commitment you know is right and good for you. Take advantage! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are there two places on Earth more different from each other than Europe and Africa? Yet there is a place, the Strait of Gibraltar, where the two continents are just 8.7 miles apart. Russia and the United States are also profoundly unlike each other, but only 2.5 miles apart where the Bering Strait separates them. I foresee a metaphorically comparable phenomenon in your life. Two situations or influences or perspectives that may seem to have little in common will turn out to be closer to each other than you imagined possible. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo basketball star Latrell Sprewell played professionally for 13 years. But in 2004, he turned down a $21 million contract extension from Minnesota, complaining that it wouldn’t be sufficient to feed his four children. I will ask you not to imitate his behavior, Virgo. If you’re offered a deal or opportunity that doesn’t perfectly meet all your requirements, don’t dismiss it out of hand. A bit of compromise is sensible right now. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1992, an Ethiopian man named Belachew Girma became an alcoholic after he saw his wife die from AIDS. And yet today, he is renowned as a Laughter Master, having dedicated himself to explore the healing powers of ebullience and amusement. He presides over a school that teaches people the fine points of laughter, and he holds the world record for longest continuous laughter at three hours and six minutes. I nominate him to be your role model in the next two weeks. According to my analysis

of the astrological omens, you will be especially primed to benefit from the healing power of laughter. You’re likely to encounter more droll and whimsical and hilarious events than usual, and your sense of humor should be especially hearty and finely tuned. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that people who use curse words tend to be more candid. “Swearing is often inappropriate but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion,” said the lead researcher. “Just as they aren’t filtering their language to be more palatable, they’re also not filtering their views.” If that’s true, Scorpio, I’m going to encourage you to curse more than usual in the coming weeks. It’s crucial that you tell as much of the whole truth as is humanly possible. (P.S. Your cursing outbursts don’t necessarily have to be delivered with total abandon everywhere you go. You could accomplish a lot just by going into rooms by yourself and exuberantly allowing the expletives to spill out.) SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the mid-1980s, a California carrot farmer grew frustrated that grocery stories didn’t want to buy his broken and oddly shaped carrots. A lot of his crop was going to waste. Then he got the bright idea to cut and shave the imperfect carrots so as to make smooth little baby carrots. They became a big success. Can you think of a metaphorically comparable adjustment you could undertake, Sagittarius? Is it possible to transform a resource that’s going to waste? Might you be able to enhance your possibilities by making some simple modifications? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Mongolia is a huge, landlocked country. It borders no oceans or seas. Nevertheless, it has a navy of seven sailors. Its lone ship is a tugboat moored on Lake Khovsgol, which is 3 percent the size of Lake Superior. I’m offering up the Mongolian navy as an apt metaphor for you to draw inspiration from in the coming weeks. I believe it makes good astrological sense for you to launch a seemingly quixotic quest to assert your power, however modestly, in a situation that may seem out of your league. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” wrote poet Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf. “Something unstilled, unstillable is within me; it wants to be voiced,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I propose we make those two quotes your mottoes for the next four weeks. In my opinion, you have a mandate to tap into what’s freshest and most unstillable about you—and then cultivate it, celebrate it and express it with the full power of your grateful, brilliant joy. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, the word “obsession” used to refer to the agitated state of a person who was besieged by rowdy or unruly spirits arriving from outside the person. “Possession,” on the other hand, once meant the agitated state of a person struggling against rowdy or unruly spirits arising from within. In the Western Christian perspective, both modes have been considered primarily negative and problematic. In many other cultures, however, spirits from both the inside and outside have sometimes been regarded as relatively benevolent, and their effect quite positive. As long as you don’t buy into the Western Christian view, I suspect that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to consort with spirits like those.

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 realastrology.com.

If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put “U” and “I” together.

02.14.19

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