S-2013-02-14 by News & Review

RetuRn of McKinley Village see Midtown&Down, page 14

Sactoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

astronaut see frontlines, page 11

School-cloSuRe ShowDown see frontlines, page 12 see Bites, page 15

Ramen rules! see Arts&culture, page 26

GiMMick-fRee

hip-hop

after half a century in sacramento, a writer moves to the Big apple and dishes on former 916ers in nyc

see Music, page 40

by DaviD Watts barton page 20

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

Volume 24, iSSue 44

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# P e e k Ta h o e

The long haul Sometimes I dream about ditching this city—pulling up roots and trying someplace new. Seattle or Portland, maybe. San Francisco or even New York City. It’s only the occasional bout of wanderlust, however, not dissatisfaction, that fuels such thoughts. Sacramento hasn’t always been home. As an Army brat, it seems as though I grew up surrounded by moving boxes. I spent the first 13 years of my existence living in two countries and seven cities, big and small. Between kindergarten and the eighth grade, I attended no fewer than eight different schools. Making friends sometimes proved difficult. Putting down roots nearly impossible. By the time I made it to Sac, I was ready to stick around for a while. As I got older, I started to think beyond the 916, however, and shortly after my 28th birthday, I packed up a U-Haul and moved to New York City. I loved Manhattan in so many ways—for its hustle, for its opportunity, for its endless stream of people. Eventually, however, I realized I missed Sacramento, the city I considered home. I missed the city’s famous trees; its pretty, walkable neighborhoods; and, most importantly, my friends and family. And so I returned. And stayed. Hustle is, I decided, relative, and opportunities are what you make of them. The people I’d left behind, however, were irreplaceable. Sometimes I still dream of hightailing it out of here once more. But even as I read, with a definite twinge of nostalgia and restlessness, this week’s cover story (see “I (heart) NYC Sac,” page 20) in which erstwhile River City writer David Watts Barton catches up with former Sactown residents who’ve made good in the 212, I know I’m likely here for the long haul. —Rachel Leibrock

rac he ll@ n ews r ev i ew . com

February 14, 2013 | Vol. 24, Issue 44

07 09 11 19 20 26 28 31 35 36 38 40 55

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Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Co-editors Rachel Leibrock, Nick Miller Staff Writers Raheem F. Hosseini, Dave Kempa Copy Editor Shoka Shafiee Calendar Editor Jonathan Mendick Editorial Coordinator Deena Drewis Contributing Editor Cosmo Garvin Editor-at-large Melinda Welsh Editorial Intern Josh Archer Contributors Sasha Abramsky, Christopher Arns, Ngaio Bealum, Rob Brezsny, Joey Garcia, Becky Grunewald, Mark Halverson, Jeff Hudson, Jonathan Kiefer,

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“I say the bike messengers; they’re sexy.”

Asked at Insight Coffee Roasters downtown:

What is Sacramento’s sexiest feature?

Daniel Bear

Micah Nisito

coffee rep

courier

Mostly the trees, the willows and poplar trees, specifically. Obviously, the shade is nice, but it’s the natural Advil, not having to spend $7 at the pharmacy, you know, just chew on some bark. When I see a tree, I’ll do it just for fun. It’s never for necessity, but it’ll do in a pinch.

The crows and the ravens. I like flocks of them, you know? I just like when they flock outside my window in the morning. The crows and the bike messengers. They’re the most attractive things in this town. Actually, scratch the crows. I say the bike messengers; they’re sexy.

Mike Somers small-business owner

We’re in the middle of everything. You have access to the superurban stuff in the Bay Area. You’ve got [Lake] Tahoe for skiing and outdoor activities. You’ve got Napa and ... wine country. Plus, Sacramento has this kind of do-it-yourself attitude. It’s got good local music and good local food. … It’s got a little bit of everything.

Alyssa Hill

Erin Vickers-Huff massage therapist

Mike Costello

student

I think Sacramento’s most attractive feature is the up-and-coming restaurant scene. I like that there’s lots of different choices. I like that a lot of our restaurants are considering where our food comes from and that it comes from our region. My favorite [at the moment] would be The Waterboy.

I really like the old signs for businesses … like Old Ironsides. I just saw a nice sign in Midtown that I really liked, too. I like when cities keep their old signs. It keeps the history. I know a lot of cities paint over them to keep it [looking] new, but I like the grunge here.

small-business owner

I’d have to say the slow but steady urban revival in the downtown and Midtown areas. That, coupled with our location being so close to the mountains and the Bay Area.

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Visit us at www.newsreview.com or email sactoletters@newsreview.com

City school district crushes dreams

THIS MODERN WORLD

TOM TOMORROW

Re “Worst practices” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, February 7): My fiancée and I bought a house in Curtis Park last year, near Bret Harte Elementary School. We are planning to start a family, and having an elementary school nearby was a major factor in our decision. We saw the community that existed at Bret Harte contributing to a vibrant neighborhood. Now Bret Harte is on the list of schools to be closed, and letter of the week our children could instead end up going over a mile away to either Fr. Keith B. Kenny School or Oak Ridge Elementary School. Both are low performing and enrolled at a lower rate than Bret Harte but are staying open because they’re “priority schools”—i.e., they’re the superintendent’s pet projects. I can’t follow the logic of closing high-performing, high-enrollment schools in order to keep lower-performing, lower-enrollment schools open. I also can’t follow economics that expect to maintain enrollment while forcing students out of their neighborhoods and into schools which the district itself identifies as “low performing, high poverty.” We want to have the school we dreamed of when we talked about buying a home and starting our family. We want to send our children to Bret Harte Elementary. Sacramento City Unified School District, please give us that opportunity. Ben Richey

Sa c ra m e nt o

It’s not just the teachers Re “Bad teachers” by Jeff vonKaenel (SN&R Greenlight, February 7): Hard to disagree with what you say. However, you are providing only part of the story. Sometimes, low-quality teachers get the administrative and district support they need to improve, often improving, but sometimes not. But they are usually just ignored. Teachers are supposed to be evaluated on an ongoing basis on their teaching ability, which is a broad skill set only partly reflected in test scores. But often they are not. Which leads to the issue of lowquality administrators. Low-quality administrators are often shuffled from school to school, looking for a place they won’t cause too much damage. And if that doesn’t work, they are elevated to the district office. Fire them, too? And then there are parents, who are often responsible for many of the problems their kids bring to school, both behaviorally and academically. Fire them, too? And the students who are so disruptive that they prevent other students from learning and create a hostile learning environment for the entire school. Fire them, too? So, yes, fire incompetent teachers who have not taken advantage of professional support to improve when that support has been offered. But let’s not stop at teachers. Dan Allison Sacramento

BEFORE

Skip the arena, renovate the retail Re “Make Sacramento a destination city” by James Battles (SN&R Letters, January 31): Battles isn’t the first person to voice the idea of replacing the Downtown Plaza with a sports and entertainment complex in recent months, but I certainly wish he would be the last. Any talk about revitalizing downtown that includes removing a center of daily retail as part of the plan is completely foolish. I’m not clueless. I’m well-aware that the Downtown Plaza has problems and that it seems to be getting worse, not better. I want to find ways to improve it. But removing it is not a good solution for downtown. A sports complex would bring people into downtown for specific events, and yes, they will spend money while they are there, mostly at restaurants and nightlife. But is that all we want downtown to be? A place where people who don’t live there head for entertainment? I don’t think so. I think any plan to revitalize the city should be focused on increasing the number of people living and working in downtown as well as drawing in people who live elsewhere. A vibrant, living community (which also happens to spend money in the city daily) is what will revitalize the city’s core, not just evening attractions for those who live elsewhere. Removing a core of retail in the downtown area simply makes it that much more inconvenient to live downtown. Let’s stop throwing around the idea of simply eliminating it. Matt Czarnowski via email

FRONTLINES

F E AT U R E

STORY

The right to not be shot Re “Teachers financing guns” by Darwin BondGraham (SN&R Frontlines, January 31): In the debate over gun rights, an important right is being ignored: my right not to be shot. Protecting the rights of responsible gun owners is all well and good, but what about irresponsible gun owners? I have twice been endangered by presumably legal gun owners. It makes no difference to a victim if he is shot (or perhaps NRAed) by a good or an evil gunman. Background checks are great, but a “psychological background check” is just silly. The most practical solution for assessing the mental health of a gun purchaser is to require a psychological evaluation for prospective gun buyers. Police are routinely psychologically evaluated and closely monitored. Citizens are not monitored, so a psychological evaluation seems to be a good precaution. If machine guns and silencers are prohibited, can we not also prohibit assault rifles and large-ammunition clips? Larry Breen Sacramento

Concerned parents = informed parents

Parents who question the standard vaccination schedule are not out of their minds. They are concerned parents who refused to be bullied into making uninformed choices. Add into the mix the fact that vaccines are big business, making drug companies millions of dollars a year. Where are parents to turn when they want information on vaccination safety? Their pediatrician, who makes money off every vaccine? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is heavily influenced by lobbyists? Jeff VonKaenel is attempting to bully and insult parents into making uninformed choices. That is insane. As a parent and a child-care provider who has spent a great deal of time attempting to make sense of vaccines, I don’t agree with the standard CDC vaccination schedule, but I do understand that there is some validity to the points VonKaenel was clumsily trying to make. But any grown-up knows that extremism and bullying doesn’t solve anything. Parents who question the standard are not out of their minds. They are rightfully concerned. Implying otherwise is malicious propaganda of the worst kind. We should be encouraging parents to educate themselves and make informed choices, not scaring them into making ignorant choices. Cyndi Lopez Sacramento

Re “Unvaccinated students in Sacramento” by Jeff vonKaenel (SN&R Greenlight, January 31): |

A RT S & C U LT U R E

AFTER

02.14.13

SN&r

BUILDING A

HEALTHY S A C R A M E N T O

A Little Extra Effort BY MIKE BLOUNT

hen Christine Salas, her husband Cesar, and their 1-year-old son Cesar Jr. walk into the doors of The Effort at the Oak Park Community Health Center, they are greeted with warm smiles and hugs. Salas says she thinks of the employees there as an extended family and without their efforts, she and her family wouldn’t have receiveed the necessary care they needed when she was pregnant. The Effort provides low-cost health care to low-income families and individuals.

“THEY REALLY HELPED US OUT WHEN WE NEEDED HELP AND THEY ARE STILL LOOKING OUT FOR US. IF THIS PLACE WASN’T HERE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE. I CAN’T IMAGINE IT NOT BEING HERE.”

informative and they answer any questions you have. They make you feel welcome. They’re really family-oriented.” Jonathan Porteus, CEO of The Effort, says the Oak Park location provides primary health care to about 3,000 patients in south Sacramento annually, offering a range of health care services. Their core operations are funded in part by The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Grant, a 10-year $1 billion program to improve community health in 14 challenged communities across California. Porteus says the Building Healthy Communities Grant allows The Effort to provide important services — like prenatal care — to lowincome people living in south Sacramento. “That’s what we’re calling our moon shot and The California Endowment is helping us with our moon shot, which is a blanket of health care for low-income people that has

never been seen before,” Porteus says. “What The California Endowment is doing is amazing and what we’re doing is vital for the community.” Salas agrees that having a place like The Effort to provide affordable health care in South Sacramento is critically important. Without it, Salas says she and her family are at a severe disadvantage and she hopes The Effort continues to help families like hers for years to come with the help of grants like the Building Healthy Communities Grant of The California Endowment. “It’s been really good [for our family],” Salas says. “They really helped us out when we needed help and they are still looking out for us. If this place wasn’t here, I don’t know what we would have done. I can’t imagine it not being here.”

When the couple first found out they were expecting in 2011, finding low-cost prenatal care for their son was a top priority for them. By the time Salas was referred to the Oak Park Community Health Center in south Sacramento, she had already gone without prenatal care for six months. But as soon as she went to her first appointment at the facility, Salas says she found a welcoming environment that offered her all the care she and her family needed without worrying about the cost. “Everyone [at The Effort] has just been so nice,” Salas says. “The doctors are very

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

THE EFFORT The Effort is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides a full range of health care services to low-income families and individuals in Sacramento to transform and improve lives. The Effort at Oak Park Community Health Center serves 3,000 patients annually as a primary care provider and has a volume of 6,000 to 7,500 visits per year. The Effort’s core operations are funded in part by the Building Healthy Communities Grant of The California Endowment, a 10-year $1 billion plan to promote and advocate healthy communities.

The Salas family found affordable prenatal care at The Effort Oak Park Community Center in South Sacramento. The location serves 3,000 patients annually as a primary care provider.

www.SacBHC.org

PAID WITH A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT 10 | SN&R | 02.14.13

PhoTo CouRTeSy oF NASA

Improbable journey Retired NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson reflects on a lifetime of flight— and future star tours Sacramentans said goodbye to the space shuttle this summer. All around the city, people by got a glimpse of the shuttle Endeavour Cosmo Garvin as it cruised over the capital, then turned and headed for retirement in a science co smog@ newsr eview.c om museum in Los Angeles. The end of the shuttle program must have been especially poignant for Davis resident Stephen Robinson, who is starting a new job as an engineering professor at UC Davis. Robinson once rode the Endeavour into space. In fact, he was one of the last shuttle astronauts—going to space four times, including a historic spacewalk to repair the underside of the shuttle Discovery. On Tuesday, February 19, at Three Stages at Folsom Lake College, Robinson Davis resident and will offer an inside look at the shuttle former astronaut program and tell the story of his own Stephen Robinson will improbable journey to space. give an inside Robinson told SN&R it was always look at NASA’s “extremely unlikely” he’d ever become space-shuttle program on Tuesday, an astronaut. Then again, he was sort of February 19, at born to do it. 7 p.m. at Three “I had this gene to be fascinated with Stages at Folsom Lake flight.” He flew model airplanes, studied College, 10 College Parkway in Folsom. bugs and birds. He learned about the Tickets are $12-$39 at Wright brothers and read their papers. www.threestages.net. He grew up in the East Bay in the early 1960s, when Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom were captivating a generation. “Those first pioneering astronauts were all the kids’ heroes. That’s what we were for Halloween. We turned appliance boxes into spaceships.“ In 1963, when Robinson was 8, his family went to the San Mateo County Fair. While the other kids headed for the rides, Robinson begged his dad to take him to the lecture NASA was presenting at the fair. “I remember it so well, the things NASA was doing at the time— flying rocket planes, talking about landing on the moon. The NASA brochures I got that night, I still have them in my office.” When he was 14, his dad bought him a ride in a glider, and that’s where Robinson’s path diverges from the

Sacramento-born astronaut Stephen Robinson, hanging in space with a sweet view of Earth, is anchored down only by a foot restraint. He will share stories about his time at NASA, space and more this Friday.

thousands of American kids who played astronaut. In the same year, he started designing and flying his own hang gliders. “I just went up on a hill and ran off the edge at full speed,” he says, laughing, acknowledging how absurd it may sound to the protective parents of today. “The whole neighborhood came out to watch this crazy kid. There was no fear.”

“It was like being rear-ended by a dump truck at a stop sign.” Stephen Robinson former NASA astronaut There never was any fear. He applied to study aeronautics and mechanical engineering at UC Davis. His dream might have been grounded right there, however, as the university rejected his application. Somehow, he sweettalked his way into the program anyway. “It was a different time. The world was smaller then. But they took a risk on me.” He kept flying hang gliders. He and his friends would drive to Dillon Beach to test them—on days when Robinson’s old station wagon would manage to get them there. Eventually, he landed an internship at NASA’s Ames Research Center, where he worked as a 19-year-old mechanic. He was also into graphic design and music. He had a live music show, one

of many shows he hosted, at KDVS, the student radio station at UCD. His first real job out of college was as a morning deejay gig at a commercial radio station. He worked as a music teacher and a surveyor, and he pumped gas for airplanes at airports. He worked his way back to NASA, earning a job as an engineer and research scientist at Ames in 1979. At the same time, he pursued his master’s and doctorate degrees at Stanford University. He started applying to the astronaut program in the early 1980s, just as the spaceshuttle missions began. He was turned down several times, along with thousands of other applicants. “There are these amazingly qualified people all over the place. I couldn’t imagine they’d choose me over them.” Robinson persisted because the pursuit of his dream was itself worthwhile. “In my mind, you have goals in life, and you try your hardest to achieve your goals. Then you have dreams, in which you also try your hardest, but you recognize that it’s not entirely up to you. “And then, against all odds, I got the job.” He was nearly 40 by the time he launched on his first mission in 1997. But he was as happy as a 14-year-old jumping off a hill on a homemade hang glider. “I have never been so at peace with the world as I was sitting on the launchpad waiting for the first launch,” he says. If you’ve ever watched a movie or seen video of the shuttle launching, you may have an image in your mind of the shuttle lifting slowly off the launchpad.

It’s sort of slow and majestic looking. But that’s not how it feels to astronauts. “It was like being rear-ended by a dump truck at a stop sign,” Robinson says. The entire “stack”—the tank and the rockets and the shuttle together—is about the size of a 20-story building, and “it goes from zero to supersonic in about 43 seconds.” “There’s this big violent lurch off the surface of the Earth, and you’re flung into the sky. I remember thinking, ‘Wait a second, maybe we’re blowing up.’ Because it was nothing like training.” Everything about flying in space was surprising. Simulators don’t teach astronauts what spaceflight feels like. It just trains them to do their jobs automatically, even though their senses are scrambled. “The first day in space, more new things happen to you than at any other time in your life, except maybe the day you are born. You are in a bubble in a vacuum, way above the surface of the Earth. You are traveling 5 miles a second. You are floating. You are seeing the most amazing colors. You are entrusted by the nation and your agency and your crew to do things right.” No spaceflight is routine—certainly not Robinson’s third mission in July 2005. This was NASA’s historic Return to Flight mission after the Columbia disaster of February 2003. On that mission, the Columbia exploded upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard. NASA later

“IMPROBABLE JOURNEY” continued on page 13

02.14.13

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One week from today, a school-board meeting in south Sacramento will seem an awful lot like The Hunger Games: Sacramento Schools Edition. by Raheem Representatives of the city’s poorest neighF. Hosseini borhoods will cram into a conference room to once again plead for their beloved schools to ra h e e m h @ escape a districtwide reaping. ne w s re v i e w . c o m Most of them will likely fail. Operating with the premise that there are too many schools for too few children, the Sacramento City Unified School District has been looking to shrink its roll of 56 elementary schools for a few years now. An effort last year dissolved over political backbiting, with board members handpicking representatives for a special committee and then ignoring every one of the group’s recommendations. As a result, Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond announced last month his plan to shutter 11 grade schools at the end of this school year. If approved by the seven-member board of education next week, this “rightsizing” plan, as it’s been termed, would trigger an educational diaspora affecting more than 3,600 pint-sized elementary students.

“The closure of 11 schools saves us so little money that I’m wondering if this is the problem [rather than the solution].” Gustavo Arroyo SCUSD board member “If there were easy things to do, they’ve been done already,” Raymond told an anxious capacity audience at last week’s school-board meeting. Raymond used the word “real” several times during his measured remarks, both in describing the crisis facing an enrollment-hemorrhaging district and the response of parents, teachers and students at seven previous community meetings. Two community meetings remain before next Thursday’s board vote—Tuesday, February 19, at Collis P. Huntington and Joseph Bonnheim elementary schools, both of which are on the chopping block. To put together the list of 11, Raymond and his staff measured one-year enrollment figures against each school’s estimated capacity. The tally hurt sites with vacant portables and programs geared for preschool, special education and health, since these students aren’t counted toward enrollment. Nearly 100 people spoke out against the plan last week. The emotional group included parents, teachers and students speaking in English, Spanish and Hmong. A few of the targeted schools are planted in ethnic neighborhoods and offer well-respected cultural-immersion programs. “If the plan is to overcrowd inner-city schools and bust the city school system, then this is a

fabulous plan,” Bret Harte Elementary School third-grade teacher Rachelle Gray said to loud cheers. She and others questioned why the district proposal didn’t take other factors into account, such as multiyear attendance trends or sheer class-size numbers, as well as school location, the size and condition of each site, or the success of individual academic programs. Along with the protection of three of the superintendent’s “priority schools,” the proposal reignited fears that privatization interests within the district are fallowing the ground for charter schools. “Why would you pick capacity [as your sole criteria] unless you’re trying to make [these targeted schools] into charters?” Gray challenged. The teacher found some sympathetic ears on the board, but probably not enough. While Area 3 representative Christina Pritchett believed the district is due for “a major overhaul,” she characterized the current plan as unrealistic. Closing Susan B. Anthony Elementary School would wreak havoc for a neighborhood with only one way in and out of it; shuttering Bret Harte would displace a large number of students from neighboring Oak Park; and closing her local school, James W. Marshall Elementary School, would result in its students being sent to facilities in need of significant upgrades. “I feel this proposal is rushed, and there’s not enough criteria to make a sound decision,” she said. Board members Diana Rodriguez and Gustavo Arroyo chimed in with their own doubts regarding a plan that’s projected to trim $2 million from the district’s deficit next year. “The closure of 11 schools saves us so little money that I’m wondering if this is the problem” rather than the solution, Arroyo said. A fourth board member would join their chorus to torpedo the district proposal. Board members Darrel Woo and recent appointee Jay Hansen are believed to be the most swayable, but in separate emails to SN&R, both men indicated they were leaning toward some kind of closure plan. Hansen termed closures a fiscal reality for a district that’s shed 20 percent of its enrollment population over the past decade. Another 800 are projected to depart before the 2013-14 school year begins. Still, closing schools—especially effective ones—could end up driving enrollment further into the trenches. Rodriguez counted 17 families that have already bolted the district since the closure plan went public, and district spokesman Gabe Ross called the threat of losing parents as a result of the district’s plan “very real.” “This subject has been an albatross around the community’s neck for a decade now,” he told SN&R. Next Thursday its grip will get even tighter. Ω

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IMPROBABLE JOURNEYâ&#x20AC;? continued from page 11

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we want to send a crew of humans to Mars and back safely, then we will learn a lot by going to the moon first.â&#x20AC;? Stephen Robinson

Under the Bush administration, NASA was aiming for a return to the moon, but the Obama administration scrapped that plan. This year, President Barack Obama mentioned a possible mission to an asteroid by 2025. As with everything else, space travel is political. Robinson doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do politics, though. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a Republican destination and a Democratic destination,â&#x20AC;? he says, though he does think that a return to the moon is the logical next step. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say that someday people are going to go to Mars. It is a place of partial gravity, a dusty environment, high radiation, large thermal extremes and no breathable atmosphere. Tough neighborhood. Now, where would you go practice to go to a place like that?â&#x20AC;? The moon is two-and-a-half days away, Mars is, at best, six months away. To Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind, the path to Mars goes through the moon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we want to send a crew of humans to Mars and back safely, then we will learn a lot by going to the moon first.â&#x20AC;? He wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be on that flight. But he may help to prepare those who one day will beâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at the school that once rejected him, then thought better of it. His first class begins in March. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like this is the job Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been preparing for my whole life. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really excited to be here.â&#x20AC;? ÎŠ

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learned the problem was a hole caused by a chunk of insulating foam that broke off from the large external fuel tank during launch and slammed into the shuttleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wing. For two-and-a-half years, NASA scientists and engineers chased down the problem and thought they had it fixed by the time Discovery was back on the launchpad. But after Discovery got into orbit, NASA sent Robinson and the crew some disturbing video. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We almost lost two in a row,â&#x20AC;? Robinson says. The video showed another large piece of foam, narrowly missing the wing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were dumbfounded. We thought we were probably the last shuttle flight.â&#x20AC;? In fact, the shuttle program was grounded for another year after that mission, until NASA finally got the foam problem managed. Meanwhile, Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crew had another problem. The underside of the space shuttle is covered with thousands of special tiles, which protect the craft when it re-enters the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atmosphere. NASA determined that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;gap fillersâ&#x20AC;? between a couple of tiles were protruding slightly, enough to pose a danger during re-entry. On the ground, NASA engineers spent days trying to figure out how to fix the problem, and came up with a maneuver that had never been tried before. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One thing we were told during training was that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never have to go near the belly of the shuttle.â&#x20AC;? The tiles are delicate, but soon, Robinson was dangling over them by the shuttleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s robotic armâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in a bulky spacesuit which weighs 600 pounds on Earth. Ultimately, the repair turned out to be simple: Robinson was able to pluck the gap fillers out by hand. But here was a view no human had ever seen. He gazed along the graceful curvature of the shuttleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belly and at Earth looming below. Then, for a moment, he was back at Ames, loading a model with the very same shape into the wind tunnel, years before the first shuttle took flight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt very privileged to see what I was seeing.â&#x20AC;? And while he may have held the lives of the crew in his spacesuitgloved hand, he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t scared. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember ever being frightened in space, even in places where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d think maybe I should have been. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way the brain works. While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just trying to solve the problem. I think this is why humans are still around.â&#x20AC;?

Robinson made one more spaceflight after that in February 2010, aboard the shuttle Endeavour. He directed installation of two new modules onto the International Space Station, along with the stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinctive cupola window. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had a wrench in my hand the whole mission.â&#x20AC;? It was one of the last flights of the shuttle programâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; which officially ended with the landing of the shuttle Atlantis in July 2011. The United States is still sending citizens to the ISS, courtesy of the Russian Soyuz taxi service. But with the station completed, the shuttleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job is done, and NASA is working on a new launch system, hoping to move beyond low-Earth orbit.

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They must be high? Dumb growth, neighborhood activists’ bad rap—and marijuana madness It takes a village, but apparently only one village in particular, to truly piss off Midtown and East Sac denizens. This village in question doesn’t even exist yet, and may never: McKinley Village is a proposed neighborhood for the landlocked wedge northeast of the grid that’s located between the American River, the railroad tracks and Business 80 (you can see it east of the freeway while headr le by NICK MIl ing into town just past Cal Expo). Developers have tried ni c k a m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m for years to do something with this open space. Now, they hope the expanse—many refer to it as “Centrage”—will soon give way to a single-family-home neighborhood. But as SN&R contributing editor Cosmo Garvin wrote back in 2007, folks have been trying to build on this “bad-luck lowland” for a quartercentury. And, each time, neighborhood groups “beat into submission” development dreams. Last week, however, former gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides’ Riverview Capital Investments resurrected its plan and began reaching out to neighborhood groups for input. Surprise—the neighbors are less than thrilled. And really, who can blame them?

The McKinley Village plan is anything but smart growth.

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The McKinley Village plan, while technically an “urban infill” project, is anything but smart growth. Some 400 single-family homes on 48 acres obviously lack density, so it’s basically building an Elk Grove tract-home development. There’s no public-transit access to the site. Plans are devoid of retail or business spaces, so residents will have to drive often to get what they need. But the biggest kicker is access to the proposed community. Or a lack thereof: The city would have to blow a hole in a levee so that hypothetical McKinley Village residents could drive in and out. Angelides’ group has plans for more community meetings in the coming weeks, but I’ve got some advice that will save time and money: Give up.

If neighborhood activists are in fact able to block Centrage development again, they’ll invariably be tagged with the “NIMBY” or “obstructionist” label. It’s not necessarily fair, but that’s how it goes. A new neighborhood group, meanwhile, aims to debunk this stereotype by celebrating the city’s strong residential nooks and vital small-business crannies. The newly formed Turn Downtown Around doesn’t want to complain, it wants solutions. TDA is holding community forums—which hopefully will be more than a couple Midtown and downtown fruits cranking about curfews and drunks—and even block parties, such as the Beer Bust street festival on Thursday, March 14. The party is a fundraiser for K Street Mall businesses and art projects, and beer and snacks will flow endlessly for just $35 in advance (more details are at www.turndowntownaround.com). Sacramento City Council is poised to turn downtown stoner life not just around, but completely on its head this Thursday, February 21, if it votes, as expected, to ban all medical-marijuana dispensaries within 1,000 feet of a school or church. The logic behind this proposed city-ordinance amendment is fuzzy. Consider: Pot is illegal federally—it’s a Schedule 1 narcotic—but the city of Sacramento ignored this and legalized and taxed medical-weed clubs, anyway. But now, after the feds recently reminded that selling weed within 1,000 feet of a school or church qualifies offenders for enhanced penalties, the city suddenly is concerned about the lawfulness of marijuana. And it wants to enact new restrictions that essentially banish its clubs. As I’ve written in the past, this change would cast out each and every pot club to the far reaches of the city—a smidgen of industrial-zoned land in the northern reaches of Allen Warren’s district, a similarly zoned plot in Kevin McCarty’s district east of Power Inn Road. Councilman Steve Cohn referred to the new rules as essentially a “de facto ban.” Figure it out, Sacramento: Are you going to legalize and tax medical pot and rake in millions of dollars? Or are you going to tiptoe around the issue and kill a vibrant, harmless local industry? Smoke on that. Ω

What they don’t tell you

CANCER AwARENEss RIBBON TATTOO

A little arithmetic to consider before closing neighborhood schools Parents and neighbors are feeling ambushed by the Sacramento City Unified School District’s decision to “rightsize” many of their local elementary schools out of existence. The premise is that these 11 schools are “severely under-enrolled,” inefficient money losers, and the district must shut them down now. ARviN The school board is expected to by CoSMo G approve the plan next week, on February cos mog@ n ewsrev iew.c om 21—the short notice gives district brass just enough time to check “community meetings” off their itinerary. Parents and neighbors have been scrambling and in a short time have turned up lots of evidence against the closure plan. Bites has reviewed some of it in previous columns. But there are more facts that ought to be considered before the school board does something deeply regrettable. The district tells you that these schools are operating in the red. What they don’t tell you is that almost all of these schools actually had money left over in their budgets last year and have for years. For example, the district says that Fruit Ridge Elementary School had a $62,000 deficit last year. That’s the number you get when you compare the amount of per-pupil funding that Fruit Ridge took in from the state to the costs of paying staff and running the school. But Fruit Ridge in fact had a $225,000 surplus last year, when you count all of the money it received. The surplus was $426,000 the year before. “There were about $10 million unspent by the school sites last year,” says schools watchdog Dave Ross. He’s been a contender for school board and a skeptic of school closure. He says, “The data just isn’t there.” The reason for the leftover cash has to do with the difference between “unrestricted” per-pupil money and “restricted” money, like grants or categorical funds, which are used to support special education, low-income students, English-language learners and the like. Down at Serna Center, someone is tossing their copy of SN&R aside and huffing, “You can’t count it like that.” Restricted money is, after all, restricted—you can’t just do whatever you want with it. True, but a lot of people think there’s more flexibility to use restricted money to help offset unrestricted spending, and that with better budgeting, the district could save millions. People like Ross, but also people like the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team, a state-created organization that has reviewed the district’s budget practices, and that in 2009 recommended the district make better use of its categorical funds. The district also doesn’t tell you that its bureaucracy is leaking money in amounts far greater than the deficits at any neighborhood BEFORE

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fOR suRvIvORs

school. The district overspent on “administrative services” by $1.4 million last year. The legal office was $674,966 over budget. The superintendent’s office had a $40,000 deficit. Perhaps it needs some rightsizing. The plan violates the California Department of Education’s “best practices” on school closure. It recommends a citizen-advisory committee and a six-month process of fact finding and community input before making a decision like this. These best practices are widely accepted. Guidelines from the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities warn that a decision should involve “meetings with community members representing service, local, political, social service, and civic organizations,” and should be made no later than December, to minimize disruption for families. Also, NCEF says, “This process must have integrity above all else.” Yes, it must.

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The district doesn’t tell you that its bureaucracy is leaking money in amounts far greater than the deficits at any neighborhood school. The district overspent on “administrative services” by $1.4 million last year.

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The district says these schools are under capacity. What they don’t tell you is that its idea of capacity is absurd. For example, the district says that Bret Harte Elementary School has a capacity of 951 students, and that enrollment has fallen to 402. It’s just 42 percent in use, it says. What they don’t tell you is that Bret Harte has never had more than 571 students, which is where it peaked in 1997-98. Looked at that way, Bret Harte is about 70 percent in use right now. It says Clayton B. Wire Elementary School has a capacity of 1,022, but its real enrollment peaked at 677. Tahoe Elementary School maxed out at 476 kids in the boom times, the district says it ought to have 788 students today. None of the schools slated for closure ever held anything close to the number of students suggested by the district. The district says these schools don’t break even. What they don’t tell you is that if you apply the same criteria, more than half of the district’s elementary schools would be in the red. And many of those would have bigger deficits than the schools picked for closure. Is it worth $250,000 a year for a neighborhood to keep its school? The district says no. But there’s a lot they don’t tell you. Ω STORY

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But who should really be getting one? I love getting discounts. Since my 60th birthday, I’ve been getting more and more discounts. Cheaper meals, cheaper tickets and lower-priced motels. This age-induced bonanza increases every year until the day (God willing) that I reach 65. Then, I will have arrived in discount heaven. Why? I can understand why restaurants have discounts for seniors. We eat smaller portions. But why should movies and motels have lower prices? We still take up the same amount of space. Perhaps seniors used to get discounts because they were poor? That’s not really the case today. Since 1965, l by Jeff VonKaene the poverty rate for seniors has dropped from 35 percent to 10 percent. Thank you, Social Security. j ef f v@ n ewsreview.c om And due to Proposition 13, most seniors pay a tiny fraction of the property taxes paid by our younger neighbors, while we are still entitled to all the same services. Maybe senior discounts show respect and appreciation for what we have done over our lifetimes. In that case, we should be embarrassed. While I salute my parents’ generation—sometimes called “The Greatest Generation” for helping win World War II, building the world’s strongest economy and expanding the middle class—my generation didn’t do so well. We took drugs. We piled up debt. We We took drugs. helped create global warming. elected George W. Bush. We piled up debt. We And I think we should take We helped create some blame for Dr. Phil. In fairness, we did have global warming. some great music. But who really deserves a And we should take discount? some blame for Students. When I went to UC Santa Barbara in 1969, Dr. Phil. tuition cost almost nothing. Nowadays, students have to take out loans that total the GDP of a third-world nation in order to graduate. We should give them two bucks off a movie ticket. Single moms. More than four out of every 10 single Should we petition Sacramento’s movie moms are living on incomes under the poverty rate. And theaters and start we baby boomers are depending upon those single moms to a nationwide raise the kids who will pay into the Social Security system, discount-reform movement? Let me to say nothing about supplying us with nursing-home aides. The military should get in for free. know what you think at jeffv@ And to pay for these new discounts, it seems only fair newsreview.com. that certain people should have to contribute a bit more. I think that we baby boomers should throw in a couple of extra bucks to help pay for the single moms. Deadbeat dads should donate at least one extra picture of Lincoln. And those unpatriotic individuals who are reaping the benefits of American infrastructure while claiming an overseas address Jeff vonKaenel is the president, to escape taxes should pony up at least $500 for their movie CEO and ticket. Crooked hedge funders should not be allowed into majority owner of the movie theater at all. the News & Review Should we petition Sacramento’s movie theaters and start newspapers in a nationwide discount-reform movement? Drop me a line at Sacramento, Chico and Reno. jeffv@newsreview.com, and let me know what you think. Ω

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Tinge of pink Harbingers of spring in the region bring pleasure … and sadness In Northern California, it sometimes begins as early as the last week of January: an almost imperceptible tinge of pink I see out of the corner of my eye as my car speeds by by Lyra Halprin a peach orchard. I mentally check myself and wonder a former reporter if it’s the light or the position of the sun in the sky at and UC Davis that moment, which is usually gray. Or—and I’m trying public-information to hold back excitement that has been sleeping for officer whose months—it could it be a sign that our savior spring is commentaries have closer than I think after the cold, the rain, the frost and aired on NPR, Capital Public Radio and San the miserable Central Valley fog of winter. I can almost Francisco’s KQED see the light puffs of blossoms that will come next, followed, miraculously, by fat orange-pink fruit touched with red, surrounded by thick layers of narrow green leaves. The pleasure I feel seeing the preblossom pink is muted by sadness. Another spring is coming that I won’t share with my father Leahn, a farmer and man of the land, who was nourished by the natural order. You’d think after more than 30 years it wouldn’t feel so raw. My father died a few years after I can almost see I graduated from college; he suffered the light puffs a heart attack while swimming, he and I loved to do of blossoms something together. After his unexpected death, that will come my sister and I ran the farm for several years with my mother. It wasn’t the next, followed, best life for her, so we sold the farm. miraculously, by But surprisingly, for the daughter who loved the ocean and surfers, my fat orange-pink writing career became linked for more two decades with sustainable fruit touched than agriculture. My father loved the signs of the with red. seasons in our walnut orchard 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, which was surrounded on all sides by rows of spring-heralding peach trees. Our farm was in Sutter County, which used to be known as the “peach bowl of the world.” Because we attended school in Santa Monica where my concert-pianist mother’s musical life was centered, my sister and I didn’t see the delicate and subtle changes from one season to the next, unless we happened to drive up the Central Valley to the farm with Dad during spring vacation. But by then, spring was established throughout the area, with easily recognizable blossoms on fruit and nut trees. The sly changes that I recognize as harbingers of spring are things I learned in three decades without him. Last week, walking with my border collie, we passed a UC Davis peach orchard. It reminded me of all I want to tell Dad. My sister and I are happy with our families, my mother still plays the piano at age 90, and, as he predicted, computers are tiny, and we can do our banking—and in the future, maybe even our voting—from these devices. The ice caps may be melting, but the earth remains fresh and rich under my feet. This ache of missing him, like the spring, feels new every year. But now, I more fully understand my father’s delight as winter ebbs. The antidote is in my eyes. The end of winter begins here with a tinge of pink. Ω

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California schools have a long list of pressing needs, but one thing they don’t need is more guns. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they’ll get if Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly has his way. Recently, amid the national soul-searching that followed the tragic school shooting at Newtown, Conn., Donnelly introduced the School Marshal Plan (Assembly Bill 202). Echoing National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre’s call for armed guards to be placed in schools across the country, Donnelly’s bill would authorize districts to spend general-purpose funds to train “school marshals”—teachers and administrators who would secretly carry concealed weapons on school grounds as a means of deterring the next would-be school shooter with an assault rifle. It’s no surprise Donnelly would think this way. The assemblyman first gained celebrity in 2005 as leader of the Minuteman Corps of California, a group that organized armed-citizen patrols of the Mexican border, and last year, he made national news when a loaded handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag at the LA/Ontario International Airport. (Donnelly had forgotten it was there, he explained.) Besides, he’s announced his interest in running for governor, and sponsoring this bill will go a long The NRA-backed way to reinforcing his pro-gun notion that credentials with Republican Party activists and the NRA, whose America can support could make him a player in 2014. shoot its way out But A.B. 202 is a terrible of the national idea that would only bring more gun violence into our schools. problem with gun Numerous studies have shown that having a gun in the home not violence needs to only does not make that home be dismissed as a safer, but also greatly increases the chances that a household right-wing fantasy, member will die in a gun-related and quickly. accident, homicide or suicide. That’s because guns get misplaced (as Donnelly well knows) and children find and use them. Guns wind up in the middle of arguments and turn shouting matches into murders. They enable suicides by people who, without ready access to a firearm, might think twice. They escalate violence far more often than they prevent it, and that would be as true on school grounds as it is in private homes. The NRA-backed notion that America can shoot its way out of the national problem with gun violence needs to be dismissed as a right-wing fantasy, and quickly. The tragedy at Newtown has galvanized popular opinion in favor of a set of simple reforms that will help keep the most dangerous firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill: a ban on military-style assault weapons, a 10-round limit on magazines and universal background checks for all gun sales. These measures enjoy backing from President Barack Obama and Democrats in Washington, and Democratic lawmakers are working to tighten state gun restrictions. Meanwhile, Republicans and the NRA seem determined to sidetrack the public with proposals that have little chance of gaining widespread support but might well-serve as a distraction from real reform until public outrage has subsided and meaningful gun control is no longer a top priority in Washington or Sacramento. Don’t let it happen. Reject Donnelly and the NRA, and support the real reforms proposed by President Obama and Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento. Ω

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first came to New York City on a business trip with my parents in 1974. It was a graduation present, and we only spent a couple days here. But even then, I knew that I would live here. That was the dream. It took a long, long time to make that happen. I visited here dozens of times, got married here in 1983 and came here to blow off steam when I was divorced 12 years later. I overstayed my welcome with some friends and pushed it with others. I took a year off in 2006 and sublet a place on the Upper West Side. So, when I finally signed a lease last fall, it was a beginning, but it also felt like the realization of a decades-old dream. After numerous tentative starts, I can finally call myself a New Yorker. My story isn’t unique. New York has drawn immigrants and dreamers for centuries. It even has a statue for it. The city has drawn a lot of other people from everywhere, including Sacramento. I know a couple dozen here in the city, and there are many more I don’t know. It might be fun to see what New York has been like for our fellow Sacramentans—my fellow New Yorkers—and see how our hometown looks from a distance.

20 | SN&R | 02.14.13

When people ask me why I came to New York after spending my whole life in Sacramento, there are three reasons I give. And, in talking to a dozen former Sacramentans here, I found that these were the same answers everyone else had as well: the energy, the opportunities and the people. But it’s not just the number of people. It’s the kind of people. Emily Best is a Sacramentan, a New Yorker of five years, and she just launched a new Kickstarter-like website for independent films called Seed&Spark (www.seedandspark. com). When it comes to New Yorkers, she says there’s unparalleled “inspiration to be drawn from the community.” “People bring their A-est A game to whatever they do here,” Best says. “Banking, the arts, business—there are so many centers of different industries and arts here that it’s hard not to meet really impressive people all the time. ... You strike up a conversation with someone in a bar or at a party, and you find out that they’re working in this amazing field.” I’ve seen it many times: I go to a bar to meet a friend, and their friend is replacing the stained glass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A classmate in my writing workshop won a Song of the Year Grammy. Another is rehearsing to sing backup for Donald Fagen. Everyone has these stories.

Opportunity gawks Dale Maharidge, long a reporter for The Sacramento Bee before he moved to New York to write books and teach journalism at Columbia University, says: “I was on the subway going to a speaking gig, and I found

myself standing on the platform next to Philip Roth. Philip Roth!” Maharidge, a fan of the groundbreaking novelist, says he was careful to observe the unofficial New York prohibition against gawking or approaching a famous New Yorker with fanlike giddiness, but admits that he couldn’t resist speaking to him. “I asked him if he had the time,” he says. “He looked at his watch and told me. And that was enough.” Maharidge then traveled on to the event where he himself was speaking, where one of his other favorite writers, William Kennedy, was there to hear him. They ended up having drinks and talking about writing afterward.

Maharidge, a boyish 56, lives in university housing just across Broadway from his office. A workaholic who is about to publish his 10th book in March, he says that he doesn’t often go out in New York—“I can be a cave dweller here. I didn’t come to here to go to the theater or eat at nice restaurants, I came to work”—but he still likes knowing that it’s all going on around him. On the other hand, some Sacramentans who’ve moved here are out on the town almost all the time. Take C.K. Swett, 30, who has made a name for himself in New York as a charity auctioneer. He works during the week at the auction house Phillips de Pury in Chelsea, but on the weekends, he is usually found at

It might be fun to see what New York City has been like for our fellow Sacramentans— my fellow New Yorkers—and see how our hometown looks from a distance. “That just doesn’t happen too much in Sacramento,” he says. “Or anywhere else!” I spoke with Maharidge while enjoying sandwiches at his desk in his office, something he says he does a lot. In the hallway, we run into a fellow teacher, a woman who has written a book on gun violence. They discuss the number of talk shows she’s been invited to during the now-raging gun-control debate. And then it’s into his office, where a banner reading “Write hard, die free” hangs over his desk.

fundraising events with beautiful, charitable people everywhere, including the Hamptons, Miami, Paris and Hong Kong. Swett was featured on the cover of The New York Times Fashion & Style section in 2011. But while he is gaining notoriety, he doesn’t make a lot of money in his day job and refuses to take money for his weekend gigs, even though he says he could have made more than $100,000 last year doing them.

Our writer, who for more than a half a century lived in Sacramento, dishes on former 916ers in New York City—and what the cities can learn from each other by DavID WattS BartoN a former Sacramento journalist now living in New York City

“One of my mentors, when I was first starting out here, gave me some good advice,” he says. “He said, ‘When you have a choice between building up financial capital or brand capital, always take the brand capital.’” Put another way: “I would rather do Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg a favor than be one of his employees.” It’s a subtle, sophisticated distinction, and it bespeaks a comfort with playing on a big playing field. New York is intimidating, a very competitive place, and the challenge is figuring out not just how to make a living, but also how to distinguish oneself. On the other hand, even though there’s a lot of competition, there is a lot of work to compete for—and a lot of venues to compete in. The Sacramentans who thrive in New York are those who are willing to try new things and take their opportunities where they see them.

Big Apple, little surprises New York City offers unexpected, surprising career breaks. Few know this better than former Sacramentan Early Times, who made his name in Sacramento as a blues musician but came to New York in 1998 to try his hand at gigging with singer E.C. Scott. Fifteen years later, he’s a currency trader on Wall Street. Now, he is known as Earl Times, at least at work. “The only time I’m not known as ‘Early’ is when I put on a tie,” he says. He also raises his 3-year-old daughter in an apartment he and his wife own in Queens. In between, Times’ career path took him from working in a record store near his then-home on the Upper East Side, where his customers included Steely Dan’s Walter

Becker, to a gig as the first blues deejay on then-new Sirius Satellite Radio. While working in radio, he put himself through Hunter College. Along the way, he also played with Wynton Marsalis. “I like that when you come here, if you have this particular kind of personality that New York attracts and you want to go against the best in your field, there’s a good chance that those people are going to be here,” he says. When Times was laid off by Sirius after it merged with another satellite-radio giant, he talked his way into a position with the largest currency-trading hedge fund in the world. Times’ old buddy Laura Ingle also got some unexpected N.Y. opportunities. She is known by many Sacramentans from her days as a radio deejay at KRXQ 93 Rock, especially for her Local Licks radio show, which highlighted the work of Sacramento-area acts, including Times. And she, too, took a circuitous route—via Los Angeles, Dallas and a seat-of-the-pants assignment to cover Hurricane Katrina in 2005—to New York and her current position as a national correspondent for Fox News. “I love the nonstop energy, the grit, the people,” she enthuses. “It feels like we’re all on this island together. It feels like we’re all in the same camp. It’s so big in terms of population, but when you look at it, it’s not as big as you imagine. … “You stand on a street corner, and you hear all these bits of conversation, and you don’t get that in your car in California.” But Ingle, who describes herself as “big on tradition,” is more adamant about missing Sacramento than most, right down to quintessential California features: the palm tree and the shopping mall.

She has gone to great lengths to keep a promise she made to friends and family when she left: not to be a stranger. She says she does everything she can to get back to Sac four times a year, and will do that even after she and her husband, Kenny Kramme, a drummer she met in New York six years ago, have their first baby sometime this month. “My friends in Sacramento are still my best friends,” she says, noting that a group of them recently threw her a baby shower via Skype, since she was unable to fly during her pregnancy. She also misses Jimboy’s Tacos, rafting on the river (which she still does on her birthday each July), branding cattle at her cousin’s ranch and Sacramento’s music scene, which she covered for 10 years at 93 Rock. She especially misses Go National, Attica and Magnolia Thunderfinger. But she knows they’re gone, too.

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Brooklyn, baby!!! Ingle came to New York for her career—but is staying for her career, her husband and to raise their new baby. Having a baby will complicate things, as it does anywhere. But New York can be a great place to raise a child, as former Sacramentan Jelena Suman-Jarosz is finding. Suman-Jarosz, a native of Croatia, moved to Sacramento in 1999 to go to Sacramento State University. She got her degree in interior design and worked on several popular Sacramento eateries and bars: Centro Cocina Mexicana, Blue Cue, Bistro 33 Midtown and the redo of the Cosmopolitan Cafe at K and 10th streets, now a Cafe Bernardo. But her move to New York a year ago had a lot to do with family: to reunite her 6-year-old son, Marko, with his father, a painter in Williamsburg, and to be closer to her family in Europe. She says she has been “shocked” at how kid-friendly the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn is. “It was a little intimidating, it’s a much bigger city,” she says. “But there are lots of kids and parents, everything is within a few blocks—the library, the subway, the park—and we go to [Manhattan] to go to Central Park and the museums. There are a lot of free events for kids; there’s a lot more available to kids and parents in New York than there was in Sacramento.” Suman-Jarosz and I meet in a bar in Williamsburg for a drink before we go to the Music Hall of Williamsburg to catch a mutual acquaintance, former Sacramento musician Chelsea Wolfe, who is here on tour. Seeing Wolfe perform PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA INGLE

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Some Sacramentans know Laura Ingle from her days on KRXQ 93 Rock, where she hosted Local Licks. The New Yorker, now a correspondent on Fox News, says she visits the 916 “four times a year.”

before a packed, rapt, dead-quiet audience of Williamsburg’s hippest goths is a revelation. The singer has matured markedly and established a unique sound that is being warmly welcomed by Williamsburg. Where she might be playing to a sparse crowd at Luna’s Café & Juice Bar, or perhaps be one of several locals playing at Naked Lounge Downtown in Alkali Flat, here, Wolfe is honored as a unique performer and headlines a popular concert hall.

Offer, communicating via email, since he’s traveling around West Africa on a months-long quest for musical inspiration in the form of Afropop, is writing from Freetown, Sierra Leone. Of Williamsburg, Offer says the music scene is similar to Sacramento. “It’s really just the same bunch of people you see around at parties. But it’s different in that there’s a lot more people, thus a lot more parties, so maybe a lot of people you don’t

“You stand on a street corner and you hear all these bits of conversation, and you don’t get that in your car in California.” Laura Ingle former Sacramento resident and 93 Rock deejay Williamsburg has been good to a number of Sacramento musicians. New York’s hotbed of new music talent is home to three members of Sacramento dance-punk band Chk Chk Chk (a.k.a. !!!), who grew its international profile by moving from Sacramento to Brooklyn a couple years ago. But the members still maintain strong ties with the River City: While three members live in Williamsburg, others live in Portland, Ore.; Pittsburgh; and, yes, Sacramento. Says singer Nic Offer, one of the three who lives in Williamsburg: “We did it just [’cause] it was N.Y., the birthplace of so much of our favorite music. We thought it would affect us creatively in a good way, and I think it definitely did.”

meet. There’s a lot of Brooklyn bands I never knew till I met them backstage at some festival in France or something.” Offer also finds himself in Sacramento regularly. A key bandmate, guitarist Mario Andreoni, still lives there. And it is, after all, home. “[Andreoni] still lives there, and we’ve got a space there, so it’s just a good base,” he says. “With everyone spread out all over, we practice anywhere we can. We literally practiced in five different countries last year. The difference is, we just don’t get to meet up with our friends after practice.” Hanging out with friends is something that takes more work in New York. It can take as long to get to a friend in another part of town

Photo CoURteSy of eARly timeS

as it takes to get from Sacramento to San Francisco. Plans must be made. Unless you are in an enclave like Williamsburg, the odds of randomly running into a friend are small. Those serendipities are something I miss about Sacramento’s central city. That said, I had a week last fall when I ran into not one, not two, but three different friends visiting from Sacramento, completely randomly.

Early Times left Sacramento as a blues musician—and now trades currencies on Wall Street. “The only time I’m not known as ‘Early,’” he says, “is when I put on a tie.”

An Sn&R StAffeR RiffS on hiS move fRom BRooklyn to midtown

The easy life Even Sacramentans who have had clear career trajectories and have seemingly risen to the top of their field still find new challenges in New York. Gary Pruitt, who for more than 20 years led Sacramento-based The McClatchy Company through turbulent times to its current position as the No. 3 newspaper company in the country, found New York’s lure of new opportunities irresistible. He moved here last summer to take over the reins of the Associated Press, which he calls “a great job opportunity.” Pruitt says that AP’s appeal was simple and obvious: “It’s international, it’s nonprofit and it’s closer to the news, more of a pure news company.” But being in New York was part of the draw as well. “I’ve been here many times, so I knew I’d enjoy living in New York,” he says. “I travel a lot, but I love living in an apartment in TriBeCa. I’ve sold my car, I love taking the subway and walking everywhere.” Pruitt also cites something that many people who might find New York dauntingly huge seem to miss: The remarkable ease of living here. “I find it very convenient,” he says. “So many restaurants deliver food, the dry cleaners deliver, things are easy to get to ... there’s a Whole Foods [Market] in my building! And living in TriBeCa, I’m very close to the Hudson River bike trail. I have my bike, and when I’m in town, I like to ride over there.” However, he notes, “It’s nice by New York standards, but it doesn’t compare to the American River Bike Trail and all that offers. That’s what I miss the most about Sacramento, the natural aspects of that trail.” “New York offers a great deal,” he adds, but “while it offers a lot of human nature, it doesn’t offer much in the way of outdoors nature. And I need to get out and hike, though I haven’t done that around here. I want to go to the Hudson River Valley and the Adirondacks, but I don’t have a lot of time.” Pruitt notes that his wife, Abby, who like himself is from Florida, enjoys New York. But “she isn’t

The Sacramentans who thrive in New York City are those who are willing to try new things and take their opportunities where they see them. crazy about the weather,” Pruitt says. “She prefers Northern California. But since I’m gone so much ... [sometimes] she just goes out there and lives in our house in Sacramento, which we kept.”

Coast to coast A lot of New Yorkers fantasize about the bicoastal lifestyle, having time every year to escape the pressures of the city, and Dale Maharidge has that completely nailed: In contrast to his faculty apartment in Harlem, he owns 34 acres on California’s north coast, completely off the grid, with his nearest neighbors “a rifle shot away, as they would put it,” he says with a laugh. He spends most summers there. Turns out, there’s a lot to miss about Sacramento. Like Pruitt,

C.K. Swett misses the American River Bike Trail. He’s an avid swimmer and runner, and while there are options for him in Williamsburg, including swimming at McCarren Park in the summer and the Metropolitan Recreation Center pool in the winter, it’s not the same as Sacramento’s access to the great outdoors. Emily Best misses another significant aspect of Sacramento’s outdoor-oriented lifestyle: fresh food. “There isn’t food of Sacramento’s caliber, in that quantity at that price, in New York,” she says. “It’s crazy expensive here, and in terms of the ingredients, they are much better in Sacramento, and they don’t fuss with

“I

Why are you all so afraid of jaywalking? Honestly. It’s a light. You know that, right? You’re humans. Sentient beings. You can just cross whenever. Use your judgment. I sure as hell won’t stop you. I’m new to Sacramento. I moved out here about three months ago from Brooklyn, New York. And I like it here. I like the trees. The elbow room. I like that I don’t spend two hours every day on public transportation and that I don’t end up going out and getting drunk six nights a week. I like that I sleep well and exercise and that everyone else does, too. I even like Sacramento as it compares to the rest of California. I don’t understand the town’s insecurity issues. You do know that you run the show, right? You’re Sacra-fuckin’mento. The capital of the ninth-largest economy in the world. You should be proud. Hell, I’m proud. And I just got here. That’s why I like your mayor, Kevin Johnson. He’s kind of a blowhard, sure, but at least he sees the town’s potential. At least he’s trying. At least someone’s trying. It’s pleasant here. Quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. Your nights end pretty early. Not much going on after dark. Bars close by 2 a.m. Back in New York, we’re just getting out to the bars around midnight, and fully expect to make it home around dawn. I miss that. And things happen in New York. It’s where the people who run the world do business. Where musicians go to be found and movie stars go to blend in. It’s where you go to make it. You don’t get so much of that here in Sacramento. San Francisco, maybe. In Lake Tahoe, you might trip over a celebrity or two. I guess Eddie Murphy used to live in Granite Bay. The air is cleaner in Sacramento. I’ll give you that. I like that I can see the stars at night. And that I can hear myself think. I don’t miss the piles of trash bags lining the sidewalks at the end of the day. (But I do, inexplicably, miss the rats.) You’re nicer here, too. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment. You’re just nicer. I’m more likely to offend or scare you than someone I come across in the five boroughs. Nothing is sacred in New York. No one is impressed. I find that the “crazy eye” goes a lot further in Sacramento than in Brooklyn. Want to know the truth? I think Sacramento is making me nicer. But, I’ve still got some Brooklyn in me. Sure. I pronounce “coffee” as “caw fee” and will, as a pedestrian, flip off the occasional bad driver. But I’m nicer, I think. I’ll smile when you use the word “gnarly.” I’ll talk literature with you at Old Soul Co. If you see me at Round Corner Tavern, you can challenge me to a game of pool. And if you find me out on a hike, taking in the California air and breaking in my new boots, feel free to say hi. But don’t be surprised when I respond, “Fuck you.” I’m walking here.

NYC SaC”

—Dave Kempa d a v e k @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

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them as much. Dollar for dollar, Sacramento kills it.” Best is close to the food scene: Her boyfriend, Steven Linares, used to be a chef at The Waterboy in Midtown Sacramento. He is now head chef at Fort Defiance, a cafe/bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn. When Hurricane Sandy flooded low-lying Red Hook, Fort Defiance was swamped. But the Sacramento connections that Best and Linares so assiduously maintain—like so many Sacramentans in this group—paid off in a big way last fall: When word of the damage to Linares’ new restaurant got back to the City of Trees, his former comrades de cuisine at Waterboy held a fundraiser and, ultimately, sent the restaurant $7,000. It was a reminder, says Best, of the power of maintaining one’s roots. Sactown’s bike-friendliness is also catching on in New York. Here, bikes have traditionally been only stripped-to-the-frame remnants one sees chained to parking signs around town. The massive bike locks one sees around bikers’ necks, which look like they double the weight of the bike, bespeak a danger of bike ownership that is discouraging. And then, there’s the riding in New York, which looks potentially suicidal. But under Mayor Bloomberg, bike lanes have proliferated. Just this morning, as I completed this story, the local National Public Radio affiliate noted that a new bike lane will be constructed from 110th Street to 59th Street via Eighth Avenue. That’s the entire West Side. And, no matter how much people love New York, most feel the need to balance the intensity of the city with

The New York Times gave former-Sacramentan C.K. Swett love for his fundraising in New York. He says he’s more about “brand capital” than “financial capital” these days.

time away. Several Sacramentans I spoke with go to great lengths to do just this: to return to Sacramento or to Northern California. Although Maharidge grew up in Cleveland, he considers Sacramento his hometown, and his sister still lives there, even though both of his parents have passed. He says that he could see himself living in Sacramento again.

This story is just a part of that. Those of us who have left Sactown are quite clear on what Sacramento has that New York City does not: Home. Family. The outdoors. A relaxed lifestyle. Professional roots. And I know that Sacramentans’ fascination with New York will not wane. I have already played host to a handful of friends, from people I hardly know to good friends

“It’s crazy expensive here, and in terms of the ingredients, they are much better in Sacramento, and they don’t fuss with them as much. Dollar for dollar, Sacramento kills it.” Emily Best on Sacramento’s food scene vs. New York City’s

“I will always be bicoastal, I need both New York and California,” he says. “But if I didn’t have my place up north, I could easily be in Sacramento four or five months out of the year and be perfectly happy.” I maintain my connections as well. My family is all gone, but I have a lifetime of friendships and professional relations that I am loathe to give up. My vintage RV is parked at a friend’s place in Midtown, ready for me whenever I come back, and I plan to maintain some sort of footprint in the town that I have called home for more than 50 years.

like Sacramento painter Micah Crandall-Bear and Cake bassist Gabe Nelson and his wife, Peggy Lanza, who spent a Sunday enjoying the Upper West Side with me a few weeks ago. With all the social media available to us, with cheap plane tickets and lessons to be learned on—and from—both sides of the continent, there is no telling where the crosspollination of Sacramento and New York City can lead. Here’s to being part of figuring it out.

PHOTO COURTESY OF C.K. SWETT

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02.14.13 | SN&R | 25

Ramen & Rice owner Chuck Kim says he invents a new ramen dish “almost every month.”

acramento winters often come with a side of freezing nights and extra rainfall, the kind of conditions that lead to sore throats, runny noses and colds. In other words, soup weather. Weather that makes eating noodle soup not just tasty, but borderline medicinal. Japan, in particular, has perfected the art of the dish. “Noodle soup is a near-universal comfort food, and Japanese people turned to ramen for comfort,” explained food writer Karen Leibowitz in her 2011 essay “Mankind is Noodlekind,” published in Lucky Peach magazine. This is how my Sacramento ramen journey begins: with a certain bowl that soothes a particularly miserable sore throat. After the sickness recedes, a few more bowls at several different local shops slurp down even more easily. Then, I learn that several new ramen shops have opened recently in Sacramento. They, too, are sampled. Now, after the Japanese noodle soup has helped me survive so many sore throats and cold evenings, I feel indebted to the food gods to spread the good word—of ramen.

ramen t he

c ul t

The popular Japanese noodle dish makes believers out of Sacramento diners by

Jonat ha n

m e n d i c k jon ath an m@newsreview.com

26 | SN&R | 02.14.13

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P ho t o s

b y

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d av i s

Praying to the ramen gods Ramen restaurants, called ramen-ya, are the most popular kind of eateries in Japan. But the dish is eaten all around the world thanks to Momofuku Ando’s invention of instant ramen, which eventually helped World War II-ravaged Japan—and the rest of the globe—eat on the cheap. Today, 98 billion packages of instant ramen are consumed internationally per year, according to the World Instant Noodles Association. Or an average of about 13 bowls per person. But at a ramen-ya, the dish is a much more serious affair than the typical store-bought flashfried brick of noodles and chemical-laden foil flavor packet that we’re used to. My first experience with a traditional ramen-ya was memorable. It happened in 2005 in Orange County when a college writing professor held office hours at a popular local ramen restaurant. We arrived, signed a waiting list, and waited to be called. Finally, we ate, and I still remember being disappointed because the anticipation seemed so much greater than the meal. A few weeks later, I returned—this time arriving before the restaurant opened. There was already a sizable line outside, but I couldn’t spot the clipboard with the waiting list. I pushed open the door to see a handful of chefs and employees gathered in a huddle. They were all wearing headbands, holding each other and praying to what I believed was a Shinto god. Or was it a ramen god? Whatever it was, they stopped mid-prayer to stare at me. I apologized, exited and waited outside for the clipboard. It would still be a long time before I understood this cult of ramen. ramen-ya rising Today, Sacramento is home to several relatively new ramen-ya. These include Ramen & Rice (807 Howe Avenue) and Ryu Jin Ramen House (1831 S Street), both of which opened in 2012. But the ramen-ya with possibly the longest waiting line is Shoki Ramen House (2675 24th Street), which also opened a second location in 2012 (1201 R Street). Sure, there were several ramen joints in town before Shoki first opened in 2007, but Shoki was probably the first to have to adopt a waiting list after positive reviews and word-of-mouth drummed up demand. However, Shoki co-owner and chef Yasushi Ueyama wasn’t always revered in Sacramento. Ueyama is from Kobe, Japan, and met his wife Kathy when she was visiting her family there. They married in 1999, settled in Kathy’s hometown of Folsom and opened Shoki Japanese Restaurant there in 2001. It specialized in kaiseki, a traditional Japanese haute cuisine style featuring courses of small dishes, such as grilled fish, fresh pickles and seasonal vegetables. Initially, says Kathy, many customers didn’t seem impressed.

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Shoki Ramen House offers vegetarian ramen options, including the Tan Tan Men (above). Relax, you can order the same dish with meat as well. Saho Ueyama (right)—daughter of Shoki Ramen House co-owner and chef Yasushi Ueyama—garnishes a bowl of ramen with bamboo.

“People had a hard time understanding it. Everyone wanted chicken teriyaki, sesame chicken [and] sushi,” she says. “A customer came up to [Yasushi] and told him that he doesn’t know how to cook Japanese food.” Eventually, the Ueyamas decided to try a different approach. They sold the restaurant in 2006, and Yasushi commuted regu“I believe anime has a lot to do with it,” says Kathy Ueyama, larly to study the ramen business at Ramen Halu, a restaurant in of Sacramento’s growing ramen scene. “But for us, we don’t San Jose. even think about it because we’re so engrossed [in making In 2007, they used what remained of their savings and opened ramen]. We can’t take our mind away from what we’re doing, Shoki Ramen House in a quaint Curtis Park structure that fits just because one mistake would change everything.” a handful of tables. That November, the Ueyamas launched their Across town, Chuck Kim, co-owner and chef at Ramen & first waiting list after customers started showing up en masse. Rice, invents a new ramen “almost every month.” At a previous Demand led them to open a downtown location in 2012. It’s restaurant he owned in Berkeley, Kim served more than 45 more than double the size, but nevertheless, a waiting list ramen styles. Today, his most popular dishes include a popped up there as well. newly invented bulgogi ramen featuring Korean Although Shoki is known for traditional shio marinated beef, and champong, a spicy seafood(salt) and shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, Kathy based ramen that’s a mixture of Chinese-, At a ramen-ya, says, it offers plenty of variety. Because Korean- and Japanese-cuisine influences. Yasushi has a Japanese degree in nutri“Everybody likes noodles,” says Kim. the dish is a much tion, all soups are served MSG-free, and “Look at pho. Pho is all over the place. more serious affair than there are also vegan options. It’s a trend. The next [few] years, there In fact, it’s the only ramen-ya will be more ramen places.” the typical store-bought in Sacramento to carry a soy-milk Yet, there are few ramen otaku flash-fried brick of noodles broth, which conjures a comforting bigger than Keizo Shimamoto, Taiwanese breakfast soup my mother who runs a blog called Go Ramen! and chemical-laden foil used to make. This comfort factor Shimamoto, who is from Orange (along with Ryu Jin’s spicy tonkotsu flavor packet that County, has blogged about ramen since ramen) initiates me into the cult and truly 2007. In 2009—a couple weeks before we’re used to. makes me believe in the dish. he left his tech-consulting job and moved But still, I’m sure there are many perfect to Tokyo, where he now manages a ramen-ya bowls citywide that I’ve yet to find. called Bassanova—he made a pilgrimage to Shoki and struck up a friendship with the Ueyama family. This NoodlekiNd otaku past December, he helped the Ueyamas open its newest Shoki Ramen House in Kobe. He notes that Japan is full of ramen otaku Shoki isn’t the only ramen-ya drawing crowds these days. In the bigger than he is. past year, I’ve put my name on waiting lists at three different “To take any bowl of ramen and say, ‘This is ramen!’ is, places. Perhaps this signals the rise of Sacramento’s ramen otaku truthfully, incorrect,” says Shimamoto, who claims to have (a term used in anime and manga circles, which roughly transslurped more than 600 different bowls in 2011. “This is the quallates to “obsessive fan”), knowledgeable foodies quick to discern ity that makes ramen so attractive and why so many people fall in every subtle hint of flavor in each bowl. Perhaps the ramen gods love with the lifelong search to find their perfect bowl.” Ω fated me to become one after interrupting that prayer in 2005? BEFORE

FRONTLINES

F E AT U R E S T O RY

A RT S & C U LT U R E

He wasn’t getting up, but who could blame him? In a matter of seconds, what should have been just another round at the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Sacramento Invitational instead brought the entire event to a screeching halt. The ride, part of the man vs. bull spectacle held at Sleep Train Arena on February 1, seemed doomed from the start. From the buzzer, it took less than a second for the bull to throw his rider, turn a full 180 degrees and run down one of the nearby gate men. The rider tried to make a run for it up and over the fence, but the bull was faster and stronger and slammed him once and then twice against the metal railings of the pit. The massive video screens that hung in the arena looped the flinching scene over a few times just for good taste. Yes, the gate man’s head definitely seemed to take the brunt of the blows. Both were direct hits; the gate man definitely was down. Members of the packed arena murmured and mumbled as more riders, coordinators and EMTs bearing a stretcher ran out to the fallen figure. But it only took a matter of minutes before he was back on his feet and slowly making his way out of the public eye, all to an applauding audience. In those few minutes I was struck by how far we have progressed this spectator sport since the Roman Empire, when it also was custom to pit man against animal in an arena for the viewing pleasure of the public. With a list of sponsers longer than the backers for Mitt Romney’s failed presidential campaign, the PBR series travels the globe and features the world’s toughest men attempting to hang on to primo bulls for eight seconds at a time. And yes, while far more humane and civilized these days, for both the people and the animals, bull riding serves the same purpose it did thousands of years ago: entertainment, with a slight chance of danger and blood. And that’s how we like it, a vicarious audience if there ever was one. The PBR event continued on with a grand total of 35 attempts made to ride several different bulls—some of them successful, others, not so much. Leaving, I couldn’t help but wonder what goes through the mind of a bull rider as he sits atop some 1,700-pound horned and pissed-off animal, right before he is jettisoned out into the bright arena. Is it fear? Is it confidence? Is it the prize money? Or something else? I can’t honestly say—and with no desire to be in that position myself—a tip of the hat to these entertainers of the gladiator variety.

Bull riding serves the same purpose it did thousands of years ago: entertainment, with a slight chance of danger and blood.

—Josh Archer

AFTER

02.14.13

SN&R

NIGHT&DAY 14THURS 15FRI DON’T MISS!

DON’T MISS!

Western swing band Cousin Cricket and local theater company Synthetic Unlimited for The Lover’s Ball. It’s a love-themed variety show featuring erotic poetry, comedy, burlesque, Shakespeare, puppetry and the band. Come in red and white semiformal attire—or lingerie—and dance the night away. Food and drinks will be served. Th, 2/14, 7pm. $10. The Stonehouse Old Brewery, 107 Sacramento St. in Nevada City; (888) 957-4697; www.synthetic unlimited.org.

Cynthia Linville hosts the fifth annual “Marathon of Love Poems” in which 20 local poets read their works. Sexy poetry trio Poetica Erotica will be closing out the evening. F, 2/15, 7:30-9pm. Free. Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th St.; (916) 441-7395; http://sacramentopoetry center.org.

THE LOVER’S BALL: Join

List your event! Post your free online listing (up to 15 months early), and our editors will consider your submission for the printed calendar as well. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Online, you can include a full description of your event, a photo and a link to your website. Go to www.newsreview. com/calendar and start posting events. Deadline for print listings is 10 days prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

Special Events VEGAN VALENTINE’S DAY FEAST: Enjoy a five-course, 10-item vegan or vegetarian dinner at The Plum Cafe. It’s $75 per couple and includes a bottle of wine or two glasses each of assorted organic varieties. Reservations recommended. Th, 2/14, 5:30-8:30pm. $75 per couple. The Plum Café, 2315 K St.; (916) 706-3302; http://plumcafe bakery.com/ValentinesDay.html.

VALENTINE’S DAY DESSERT SHOW: Catch a performance of a the romantic and sentimental comedy An Ideal Husband. It’s about an upstanding politician, Robert Chiltern, who is haunted by his past when a blackmailer, Mrs. Cheveley, threatens to reveal a youthful indiscretion and harm his happy marriage. Advance reservations are recommended. Th, 2/14, 7-9:30pm. $20. Victory Life Church, 800 Reading St. in Folsom; (916) 207-5606; www.freefallstage.com/ productions.

VALENTINE’S DAY WINE DINNER: Revolution Wines will be offering a prix fixe menu with wine pairings. This dinner will include four courses prepared by executive chef Rachel Kelly, and wine pairings for each course picked by winemaker Craig Haarmeyer. Th, 2/14, 5-10pm. $65 per person. Revolution Wines, 2831 S St.; (916) 444-7711; www.revolution-wines.com.

VALENTINE’S DAY TENNIS SOCIAL: If you’re already paired up or looking to meet new people on a tennis court, sign up for this Valentine’s Day Tennis Social. Led by head tennis pro Kati Kocsis and tennis coach Martin Kosan, this is an opportunity to spend an evening playing tennis, meet new people and enjoy a meal. Th, 2/14, 6:30pm. $25. Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa, 1220 Arden Hills Ln.; (916) 482-6111.

Classes VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER & COOKING CLASS: Sit back and enjoy this cooking class and dinner with your sweetheart. It begins with an appetizer to whet your appetite. Chef Dionoso Esperas will then prepare his menu; you sip wine and enjoy each course as he prepares it. Th, 2/14, 6-8:30pm. $50-$59. Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Community Learning Center & Cooking School, 1914 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 868-6399; www.sacfoodcoop.com.

LOVE, LUST & HEARTACHE:

Special Events LABYRINTH: Walking a labyrinth is an ancient tradition by which a seeker follows a symbolic path toward spiritual enlightenment. Arrive whenever you choose for individual prayer and meditation. F, 2/15, 6-8pm. Free. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 2620 Capitol Ave.; (916) 456-5470; www.trinitycathedral.org.

Film IN THE LAND OF THE FREE: Watch a documentary about the Angola 3 (Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King), who have spent nearly a century in solitary confinement between them. Charged with a murder they didn’t commit, the three were ultimately punished for organizing as part of the Black Panther Party to expose continued segregation, systematic corruption, and abuse in a United States prison. F, 2/15, 7:30pm. Free. Lavender Library, 1414 21st St.; (916) 492-0558.

C.N. GORMAN MUSEUM: Artist Talk by D.Y. Begay, in association with her current exhibition, D.Y. Begay will be giving a lecture about the works on view as well as others from throughout her career. An artist reception begins 4 pm and the lecture will follow. F, 2/15, 4pm. Free. Hart Hall at UC Davis, 1 Shields Ave. in Davis; (530) 752-6567; http://gormanmuseum.ucdavis.edu.

Concerts DAVID LINDLEY: The David Lindley electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy and Turkish musical sources. Lindley incorporates an incredible array of stringed instruments including but not limited to Kona and Weissenborn Hawaiian lap steel guitar, Turkish saz and chumbus, Middle Eastern oud and Irish bouzouki. F, 2/15, 7:30pm. $25. Center for Spiritual Awareness, 1275 Starboard Dr. in West Sacramento; (916) 374-9177; www.csasacramento.org.

IFAMODUPE LOVE HARD EP RELEASE: Join Ifamodupe for an evening celebrating the release of her new EP, Love Hard. It will be a dynamic concert based on the theme of love, and featuring Russel Brown, Cleo Cartel, Jamel Johnson and Keith Patterson. F, 2/15, 7pm. $20. UOS Performing Arts Center, 9249 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 368-3950; www.unityofsacramento.com.

Anita Wilson, along with J.J. Hairston and Youthful Praise will headline Gospelfest 2013: Reach Out and Praise. The concert is part of the annual Black History Month

SN&R

02. 14.13

THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE IS HERE,

Museums

GOSPELFEST 2013: REACH OUT AND PRAISE: Grammy-nominated artist

LUNAR

but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get stabbed in the back or swallowed whole. If you’re an Asian-American in Sacramento—Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian or Tibetan, that is— chances are you celebrated Lunar New Year with your family this week. If not, don’t worry: There are a few public community celebrations happening where you can still mingle with friends or party with peers. Here are a few ways to help ring in the Year of the Snake.

CELEBRATE THE TET FESTIVAL WITH THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF SACRAMENTO

This annual celebration features plenty of delicious food vendors, craft vendors, carnival rides, resource booths, and a health-andwellness fair. There are also a variety of performances by community dance troupes, local children and Vietnamese pop singers. It begins with a parade down Stockton Boulevard (from Fowler Avenue to Florin Road) on Saturday, February 16, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The free festival happens in a parking lot on the corner of Stockton Boulevard and Florin Road on Saturday, February 16, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/vietnamese americancommunityofsacramento.

ATTEND A CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Join the Chinese New Year Culture Association for its annual celebration at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center (6151 H Street) this Saturday,

February 16. The party features an elaborate stage program from noon to 5 p.m., with traditional dances, Chinese pop songs, a fashion show, opera music, acrobats and even a “Gangnam Style” dance performance (so what if it’s Korean?). There will also be children’s games and vendors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $6 for adults and $1 for children under 12 years old. For more information, visit www.cnyca.net.

HEAD TO A KOREAN RESTAURANT FOR SOME TTEOKGUK

Though Sacramento isn’t known for big celebrations involving its Korean community, this is one delicious tradition you don’t want to pass up. Many Koreans eat tteokguk, a type of rice-cake soup, on Lunar New Year’s Day for good luck. Just for reference, it’s similar to Shanghai-style nian gao, a Chinese dish eaten for good luck on New Year’s Day. OK, still confused? Just head to any traditional Korean restaurant on Folsom Boulevard and ask for the dish. —Jonathan Mendick

celebration at University of the Pacific. F, 2/15, 7pm. $10. Progressive Community Church, 2820 South B St. in Stockton; (209) 946-7707; http://go.pacific.edu/gospel fest2013.

16SAT

STEAMPUNK EMPORIUM & SWAP MEET: The main theme

of this swap meet is steampunk, but anything of a handmade, artsy, creative, vintage, antique, nostalgic, retro-future or retro nature may be available, as is anything related to cosplay, science fiction, fantasy, the Wild West, pirates, gaming, comics, speculative fiction or steampunk subgenres. Sa, 2/16, 11am-4pm. Free. Great Escape Games, 1250 Howe Ave., Ste. 3A; http://sacsteam.org.

Special Events AFRICAN-AMERICAN QUILTERS AND QUILTS: In celebration of Black History Month, Sisters Quilting Collective will host its second annual quilt exhibition, A Stitch in Time: The Past, Present and Future, highlighting AfricanAmerican quilters and quilts. Sa, 2/16, 1-3pm. Free. Brickhouse Gallery & Arts Complex, 2837 36th St.; (916) 613-7401; www.thebrickhouse galleryoakpark.com.

BIRD SURVEY: Join worldrenowned ornithologist John Trochet as he ventures into California’s largest remaining old-growth valley oak forest to catalog the birds of the Cosumnes watershed. Public Access to this sensitive habitat is only allowed on these excursions. The walk covers about five miles and expect to be in the field for a minimum of four hours. Sa, 2/16, 6:30am. Free. Cosumnes River Preserve Farm Center, 7300 Desmond Rd. in Elk Grove; (916) 870-4317; www.cosumnes.org.

Art Galleries ACAI STUDIOS & GALLERY: Queen of Hearts Show, celebrate your love of art with the artists of Women’s Wisdom Art, an organization that helps women regain their power through art. Sa, 2/16, 6-9pm. Free. 7425 Winding Way in Fair Oaks; (916) 966-2453.

Comedy THE COLONY: This is a show more creative than its name. A team of improv veterans and friends build something with your suggestions. The team takes the stage every week to ask you some questions. Your answers and your ideas fuel the performance. Sa, 9:15pm through 12/28. $7. Blacktop Comedy, 7311 Galilee Rd. 150 in Roseville; (916) 749-3100; www.blacktop comedy.com/shows/thecolony.

PAULA POUNDSTONE: Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula’s ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend. People sometimes leave her shows debating whether the random people

Classes HOW TO TALK SO YOUR DOCTOR WILL LISTEN: Led by renowned com-

DON’T MISS!

BEFORE

she talked to were “plants,” and complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter. Sa, 2/16, 7:30pm. $27-$42. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.; (916) 442-7378.

munications expert John Kinyon, with health-care professional Christine Flaherty, this class helps you stay healthier by teaching you to communicate more effectively with the medical professionals in your life. Sa, 2/16, 9:30am-5pm. $210. Beatnik Studios, 2421 17th St.; (413) 658-4444; www.mediateyourlife.com.

Kids’ Stuff BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: Every year bird enthusiasts around the country participate in this national event to count birds in their backyard. Join Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge staff as they count the birds in the refuge’s auto tour. Participants of all ages are encouraged to help count as the tour breaks up into groups to cover areas. Preregistration is required. Sa, 2/16, 12:30-4pm. $6 per vehicle. Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, 752 County Rd. 99 in Willows; (530) 934-2801; www.fws.gov/ sacramentovalleyrefuges.

Literary Events WRITERS LUNCHEON MEETING: California Writers Club, Sacramento Branch hosts its monthly luncheon meeting. The club is an educational nonprofit corporation dedicated to educating writers of all levels of expertise in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work. Sa, 2/16, 11am-1pm. $12-$14. Tokyo Buffet, 7217 Greenback Ln. in Citrus Heights; (916) 213-0798; www.cwcsacramentowriters.org.

Museums SUTTER’S FORT: Hands on History: By Land and By Sea, through demonstrations and hands-on activities, docents will help fort visitors understand the two different ways emigrants originally came to California—by land or by sea—while sharing the unique challenges they faced and what daily life was like during their journeys. Sa, 2/16, 10am-5pm. $5-$7. 2701 L St.; (916) 445-4422; www.parks.ca.gov/suttersfort.

Poetry KINGS & QUEENS POETRY NIGHT: Hear some of Sacramento’s best poets at this event hosted by Leah Albright-Byrd. Performers include Vence Lewis, The Poet I, Terry Moore, Tchaka Muhammad, Chandell Bayas and Kottyn the Soft Spoken Poet. Sa, 2/16, 7-9pm. $10. Sekou’s BBQ, 455 Bercut Dr.; (916) 208-7638.

Now Playing PERILS OF PAW-LEEN: Litterbox Larry has Paw-leen in his clutches. Boo the villain and cheer the hero, Sheriff Manx. Sa, noon & 2pm through 2/16. $7. Chautauqua Playhouse, 5325 Engle Rd. in Carmichael; (916) 489-7529; www.cplayhouse.org.

FRONTLINES

Concerts

GOOD FORTUNE CONCERT: The

ESTHER KEMALYAN-ROCHE: Hear

Premier Orchestra of the Sacramento Youth Symphony under the direction of Michael Neumann joins Gordon Lee and the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra of San Jose with eastern and western instruments. The concert features works by Californians Gordon Lee and Pablo Ortiz. Sa, 2/16, 7pm. $10-$15. Hiram Johnson High School, 6879 14th Ave.; (916) 731-5777; www.sacramento youthsymphony.org.

KIND OF BLUE LIVE: An all-star group of musicians play Miles Davis’ classic album, Kind of Blue, live for one night only in Sacramento. The band features Jeff Clayton on alto sax, Joe Gilman on piano, Mike McMullen on Tenor Sax, Tim Metz on drums, David O’Keefe on bass and Tom Peron on trumpet. Su, 2/17, 5 & 6:45pm. $5-$13. JBs Lounge, 1401 Arden Way, inside the Red Lion Hotel; (916) 723-5517; www.facebook.com/events/ 154679821345786.

DON’T MISS! SACRAMENTO DARWIN DAY:

The 16th annual Sacramento Darwin Day gala celebrates science, reason and humanity, and marks Charles Darwin’s 204th birthday. The main speaker is Dr. Ivan R. Schwab, author of Evolution’s Witness: How Eyes Evolved. There will also be entertainment, vendors, displays, snacks and birthday cake. Su, 2/17, 2-5pm. $5-$10. La Sierra Community Center, 5325 Engle Rd. in Carmichael; (916) 447-3589; http://sacdarwinday.info.

Meetings & Groups SIERRA COLLEGE SUSTAINABILITY FORUM: In February, Grid

Russian National returns to Jackson Hall, led by dynamic conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (music director of the Nashville Symphony), and featuring Daniil Trifonov, a young pianist praised by The New York Times for “scintillating technique and a virtuosic flair.” Su, 2/17, 7pm. $25-$118. Mondavi Center, 9399 Old Davis Rd. in Davis; (530) 754-2787; www.mondaviarts.org.

18MON

BRIDAL OPEN HOUSE: Newly engaged couples and event planners are invited to this open house to enjoy appetizers and refreshments while touring the site with three ballrooms, two wedding courtyards, overnight villas, a spa and salon. Su, 2/17, 10am-1pm. Free. Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa, 1220 Arden Hills Ln.; (916) 482-6111; www.ardenhills.net.

by the Black Family Reunion Celebration that occurs annually in Washington, D.C., the Crocker Art Museum celebrates Black History Month with a showcase of the art, culture, history and traditions of the African Diaspora. African and AfricanAmerican history come alive through an array of music, dance and dramatic performances, as well as gallery experiences, handson art activities, and an arts-and-crafts marketplace. M, 2/18, 11am-3pm. Free. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St.; (916) 808-7000; www.crockerart museum.org.

Classes INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE BEGINNERS NIGHT: The Davis International Folkdancers will hold a special beginners night featuring easy dances from Bulgaria, Israel, Greece, Serbia, Russia, Japan, Armenia and elsewhere. Dances are mostly nonpartner, and there will be plenty of instruction. Bring grit-free nonmarking shoes to dance in. Broaden your horizons and educate your feet while having fun. Su, 2/17, 7-10pm. Free for first-timers. Davis Art Center Studio E, 1919 F St. in Davis; (530) 758-0863; www.davisfolkdance.org.

your GPS to pinpoint your location, mark waypoints and navigate to distant points. If you own a GPS unit, bring it to the class. Online registration required. Tu, 2/19, 6:30-8:30pm. $20-$40. REI Sacramento, 1790 Expo Pkwy.; (916) 924-8900; www.rei.com/sacramento.

Concerts TWENTY ONE PILOTS: Twenty One Pilots, an alternative pop-rock band, will be performing, with special opening guest New Politics. There’s free parking on the top floor of Parking Structure III after 6:30pm. Follow directional signs to get there. Tu, 2/19, 7:30pm. $10-$14. Sacramento State University Union Ballroom, 6000 J St.; (916) 278-6997.

20WED

DON’T MISS! FEMALE JAZZ SINGER TRIBUTE: Jazz vocalist and

Classes

THE GREAT GATSBY AS A GRAIL QUEST: The Great Gatsby expert

MEATBALLS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Take your taste buds on

Andrea Lagomarsino will offer an interpretation of the novel. Sacramento Ballet artistic director Ron Cunningham will talk about the excitement of performing a new work based on the novel and the difficulties of conveying the complexity of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s flawed lovers. Participants will then break into small groups to discuss the classic book. Su, 2/17, 2pm. Free. Sacramento Public Library (Central Branch), 828 I St.; (916) 264-2920; www.saclibrary.org.

a trip in this class as you explore meatballs from across the globe. Enjoy skewered Lebanese lamb meatballs, Swedish meatballs, Mexican meatballs, Vietnamese pork meatballs, Greek beef meatballs and Chinese shrimp balls. Tu, 2/19, 6:30-8:30pm. $35-$45. Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Community Learning Center & Cooking School, 1914 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 868-6399; www.sacfoodcoop.com.

are open to join this handbuilt ceramic clay artist studio group. It’s noninstructional, and artists must have some knowledge of ceramic clay and be older than 18 years old. Payment is due month to month, and includes firing fees and gallery participation. W, 5-10pm through 10/29. $45 per month. Del Paso Works Building, 1001 Del Paso Blvd.; (916) 927-0878.

FILLING THE GAP: Filling the Gap: Forgotten Chapter of American History is an African-American historical docudrama film that shows African-Americans’ significant—but often unacknowledged—contributions to the country. Following the film is a Q-and-A with director Tyrone Young. W, 2/20, noon. Free. Sacramento State Student Union, Redwood Room, 6000 J St.; (916) 278-6997; www.sacstateunique.com.

Sports & Recreation WILDERNESS LAND TRUST: Join Aimee Rutledge, California program manager with the Wilderness Land Trust, for a presentation about the work of the trust. The Wilderness Land Trust is a national, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to purchasing lands for the federal wilderness system to ensure their preservation. W, 2/20, 7-8:30pm. Free. REI Sacramento, 1790 Expo Pkwy.; (916) 924-8900; www.rei.com/sacramento.

Concerts

recording artist Vivian Lee and her quartet will celebrate these divas of jazz: Carmen McRea, Billie Holiday, Nancy Wilson and Dinah Washington. Hear the music and learn about the lives of these amazing African-American women of the jazz world. The jazz concert is one of numerous Black History Month programs scheduled at Sacramento Public Library locations throughout February. W, 2/20, 6:30pm. Free. Sacramento Public Library (Central Branch), 828 I St.; (916) 264-2770; www.saclib.org.

19TUES

Literary Events

GET YOUR HANDS IN MUD: Artists

Film

GPS BASICS: Learn how to use

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FAMILY FESTIVAL: Inspired

Classes

techniques to incorporate these fresh and flavorful fruits into treats and meals your whole family will enjoy. This special monthly cooking class is focused on incorporating fresh ingredients designed for a healthy and well-balanced diet. Reservations required. W, 2/20, 6pm. $20. Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa, 1220 Arden Hills Ln.; (916) 482-6111.

Sports & Recreation

DON’T MISS!

1050 20th St., Ste. 130; (916) 402-4757; www.saccomedyspot.com.

CITRUS DELIGHTS: Learn tips and

Alternatives will discuss its organization and volunteer opportunities in helping lowincome families get solar for their homes. Additionally, this event will discuss a another volunteer opportunity in April. Tu, 2/19, 5:30pm. Free. Sierra College, 5000 Rocklin Rd. in Rocklin; (916) 660-7900.

RUSSIAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA: The

Special Events

STORY

Long Term Care Ombudsman of the California Department of Aging, will outline the Affordable Care Act provisions that affect adults age 60 and older. Attendees will learn how the act benefits older adults and provides better healthcare coverage at lower costs. Tu, 2/19, 11am. Free. South Natomas Library, 2901 Truxel Rd.; (916) 264-2920; www.saclibrary.org.

Esther Kemalyan-Roche in a performance presented by the Lodi Community Concert Series. She’s a recognized professional pianist who plays with grace and elegance throughout the Sacramento area. Su, 2/17, 3pm. $25. Hutchins Street Square, 125 S. Hutchins St. in Lodi; (209) 333-5550; www.hutchinsstreetsquare.com.

17SUN

FEATURE

SENIOR HEALTH-CARE LAWS OUTLINED: Joe Rodrigues, State

ACTIVELY LISTENING: Erik James, part of the Bell Boys, presents an acoustic singer-songwriter showcase at Old Soul Co. It features five or six songwriters showcasing original music every week. W, 6pm. Free. Old Soul Co., 1716 L St.; (916) 443-7685; http://face book.com/activelylistening.

Wait, there’s more! Looking for something to do? Use SN&R’s free calendar to browse hundreds of events online. Art galleries and musems, family events, education classes, film and literary events, church groups, music, sports, volunteer opportunies—all this and more on our free events calendar at www.newsreview.com. Start planning your week!

WIND ENSEMBLE PERFORMS: Sacramento State’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs in the Music Recital Hall in Capistrano Hall. Tickets are available at the University Ticket Office, by phone, or online. W, 2/20, 7:30pm. $5-$10. Sacramento State Music Recital Hall, 6000 J St.; (916) 278-5191; www.csus.edu/music.

Comedy HAROLD NIGHT: The Comedy Spot

A RT S & C U LT U R E

presents Harold Night, a form of improvised longform comedy popular in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. See two teams every week in Sacramento’s first Harold show. W, 9pm. $5. Sacramento Comedy Spot,

AFTER

02.14.13

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30 | SN&R | 02.14.13

BEST BUY

Buzzworthy

PRESIDENT’S DAY

Weekend Brunch

Blue Moon Cafe and Karaoke

SAT FEB 16 - MON FEB 18

5000 Freeport Boulevard, Suite A; (916) 706-2995 Many local restaurants advertise their cuisine as “comfort food.” But the definition of such varies widely by from person to person. Blue Moon Cafe and Jonathan Mendick Karaoke, which serves up Pan-Asian cuisine, smoothies and snacks, provides the type of j o nathanm@ news re view.c om dishes many eat for comfort: Hong Kong-style cafe food. In Sacramento, most people equate Hong Kong-style cuisine with dim sum, but this restaurant is a classic cha chaan teng, or “tea food hall.” (The nearby Yummy Juice Cafe, located at 3005 Freeport Boulevard, is another rating: well-known local cha chaan teng.) HHH There’s still tea served, but unlike a dim sum restaurant, most of it here isn’t the traditional loose-leaf kind. Instead, Blue Moon dinner for one: serves milk-infused Hong Kong-style tea, $10 - $20 heavily sweetened lemon ice tea and a variety of fruit smoothies. You also won’t find dishes such as shu mai, har gow or chicken feet on the menu. Instead, there are rice plates, sandwiches, noodle bowls, soups and stir-fries. A few random Japanese (ramen, fried udon), French (sweet or savory crepes), Russian (borscht), Korean (beef and kimchi hot pot) and Italian (various pasta options) foods add to the feeling H that whatever your cultural background, you’ll FlAwed find a comfort dish from your childhood to HH wrap its arms around you and give you a hug. hAS momentS With a numbered menu that makes its HHH way into the 6,000s (no, there aren’t actuAppeAling ally 6,000 items served here, just a jumpy numbering system. But, still, there is a lot HHHH AuthoritAtive of food), ordering always leaves a lingering guilt about leaving behind a potentially amazHHHHH epic ing dish. On the upside, this extensive menu boasts the possibility of hiding a pleasant new surprise upon every trip. On this visit, I’ve come with a posse of Asian friends (Hmong, Mien, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian), all possessing wildly different tastes and backgrounds. We order a large swath of snacks, including fried squid; waffles topped with assorted fruit; braised pig Still hungry? ear with soy sauce and peanuts; tempura green Search Sn&r’s beans; and ice-cream-filled crepes topped with “dining directory” more ice cream. Also sampled: waffles drizzled to find local with peanut butter and condensed milk; fried restaurants by name salt-and-peppered chicken; wontons in spicy or by type of food. Sushi, mexican, indian, red oil; and macaroni with Spam and eggs. italian—discover it One of the best dishes we try is the all in the “dining” braised pig ear with soy sauce and peanuts. section at It’s extremely salty, but pairs well with an www.news review.com. Australian shiraz that we’ve brought from home—for a $10 corkage fee. The Hong Kong-style milk tea and lemon ice tea turn out to be sweet and delicious. The biggest miss is the macaroni with Spam and eggs. There’s literally no seasoning, and the entire dish sits in a puddle of hot water that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose flavorwise. Elsewhere, the wontons in spicy red oil are a Sichuan specialty that bring a BEFORE

FRONTLINES

11AM – 3PM

much-needed kick to an otherwise bland (as is common in Hong Kong-style food) collection of dishes. Ultimately, most dishes are good, but none are great. But this eatery, as its name implies, is more than just a cafe: It also features private karaoke rooms—with a song list that includes tunes in Chinese, Vietnamese and English—that fit up to 20 people. These are available at an hourly rate; we visited during happy hour, which takes place daily between 2 and 7 p.m., with a group of eight, and the session only set us back $20 per hour.

$12 BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS (Guava, Pomengranate, Blood Orange & Traditional)

FULL BRUNCH MENU & FOOD SPECIALS DAILY HAPPY HOUR SUN 3pm–close & MON Noon–close ~ Food & Drink Specials Daily ~ ~ Happy Hour Tues-Fri 12-6pm & Sat 10pm-1am ~ ~ Late Night Dining ~

The wontons in spicy red oil are a Sichuanese specialty that bring a much-needed kick to an otherwise bland (as is common in Hong Kong-style food) collection of dishes.

Reservations Recommended

1217 21st St | 916.440.0401 | KuprosBistro.com

Blue Moon caters to college-age patrons and families who like to eat on the cheap. Because it’s open until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, it’s a definite go-to for late-night munchies. While the food isn’t awe-inspiring, it’s nice to at least know that when you’re a little buzzed and hankering for your favorite childhood snack, this place will come through—at any hour. Ω

Hip-hop’s beef Finally, a song you can play at your vegan meet-up group’s dance: “Beef” by Boogie Down Productions. This vintage consciousrap track isn’t about a trite ego-driven feud, but rather, emcee KRS-One’s issue with the greed of the beef industry, as well as the drugs the cows are given to grow unnaturally fast, the “fear and stress” the animals live in, and how the consumer absorbs it all. The song has a simple, fat, bouncy beat, and its lyrics ring startlingly true—“Tell yourself you’re gonna try and stop / Eatin’ meat and you’ll see you can’t compete / It’s the number one drug on the street,” even though it’s from “1990, suckas.” Hear it at http://tinyurl.com/beefBDP.

F E AT U R E S T O RY

Monda y, Febr u

ary 18 PRESI DENTS BRUNC ’ DAY H $7.95 UNLIM MIMOISTED AS AM PM

8 -3

—Shoka

A RT S & C U LT U R E

AFTER

02.14.13

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Downtown Estelle’s Patisserie With its marble tables and light wooden chairs, there’s an airy atmosphere, casual and cozy. Estelle’s offers an espresso bar and a wide assortment of teas and muffins and rolls for the breakfast crowd as well as sweets, including DayGlo macarons. For the lunch-inclined, there are soups, salads, sandwiches and meat or meatless quiche. One of the authentic touches is the spare use of condiments. The smoked salmon is enlivened by dill and the flavor of its croissant. Its tomato bisque is thick and richly flavored, and, in a nice touch, a puff pastry floats in the tureen as accompaniment. There’s a lot to like about Estelle’s—except dinner. Doors close at 6 p.m. French. 901 K St., (916) 551-1500. Meal for one: $5-$10. HHH1⁄2 G.L.

Where to eat?

Here are a few recent reviews and regional recommendations by Becky Grunewald and Greg Lucas, updated regularly. Check out www.newsreview.com for more dining advice.

Grange Restaurant & Bar You won’t find any “challenging” dishes on this menu—just delicious local and seasonal food such as the Green Curry & Pumpkin Soup, which has a Southeast-Asian flair. A spinach salad features ingredients that could be considered boring elsewhere: blue-cheese dressing, bacon, onion. But here, the sharply cheesy buttermilk dressing and the woodsy pine nuts make it a salad to remember. Grange’s brunch puts other local offerings to shame. The home fries are like marvelously crispy Spanish patatas bravas. A grilled-hamand-Gruyere sandwich is just buttery enough, and an eggwhite frittata is more than a

bone thrown to the cholesterolchallenged, it’s a worthy dish in its own right. American. 926 J St., (916) 492-4450. Dinner for one: $40-$60. HHHH B.G.

Midtown Firestone Public House A sports bar with a focus on craft beer isn’t exactly a groundbreaking concept, but two local and prominent restaurant families, the Wongs and the DeVere Whites, know what Sacramento wants: good beer; solid pub grub; and a casual, unpretentious atmosphere. Here, the bar is the centerpiece with a full stock of liquor and 60 beers on draught. The menu features savory appetizers—the tortilla soup with poached chicken, avocado and tomato is particularly noteworthy—and a selection of sandwiches and pizzas, including a simple pie with fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce. American. 1132 16th St., (916) 446-0888. Dinner for one: $15-$20. HHH B.G.

Shady Lady Saloon So many bars try to do bar snacks, and so many fail. Shady Lady, however, nails it. The fried green tomatoes are punched up with a tarragon rémoulade and the huge charcuterie board is more like a groaning board, stocked with abundant regional meats and cheeses. The pickle plate looks like Peter Rabbit’s dream, all teeny turnips and tangy carrot chunks. Generally excellent, the saloon’s cocktail list veers from the classics

FREE CHIPS & DRINK WITH PURCHASE OF ANY SIGNATURE SANDWICH ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER. EXP 02.28.13

with a list of bartendercreated drinks with unusual, but wisely considered flavor combinations: cilantro and tequila, blackberry and thyme, and the surprisingly sublime mixture of celery and pineapple. American. 1409 R St., (916) 231-9121. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH1⁄2 B.G.

South Sac Bánh Xèo 46A Bánh Xèo 46A is named for its signature dish, a Vietnamese egg crepe. Each one completely fills an oval-shaped platter and is served shatteringly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Bánh Xèo also offers nem nuong, or grilled pork sausages on skewers, and chao tom, a grilledshrimp dish that arrives as a flamingo-pink paste melded into a sausage shape around juicy sugarcane. The staff is friendly and and a flat-screen TV emits a constant stream of saccharine Vietnamese love songs. Vietnamese. 7837 Stockton Blvd., Ste. 700; (916) 476-4895. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH1⁄2 B.G.

North Sac Asian Café Asian Café serves both Thai and Lao food, but go for the Lao specialties, which rely on flavoring staples such as fish sauce, lime juice, galangal and lemongrass, lots of herbs, and chilies. One of the most common dishes in Lao cuisine is larb, a dish of chopped meat laced with herbs, chilies and lime. At Asian Café, it adds optional offal add-ons—various organ meats, entrails, et al—to three versions of the dish: beef with tripe, chicken with gizzards, or pork with pork skin. The beef salad offers a gentle respite from aggressive flavors, consisting of medium-thick chewy slices of eye of round with red bell pepper, chopped iceberg and hot raw jalapeño. The single best dish here is the nam kao tod, a crispy entree with ground pork that’s baked on the bottom of the pan with rice, then stirred and fried up fresh the next day with dried Thai chilies and scallions. Thai and Lao. 2827 Norwood Ave., (916) 641-5890. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH B.G.

HL Hot Pot HL Hot Pot is the type of place that lends itself to a convivial, communal experience where the food seems secondary. It works like this: Servers take your order and then wheel broth and ingredients over on a silver cart. Broths are served two to a segregated pot and plunked onto the table-side burner. The beef broth is essentially pho, heavy on the star anise. The house broth is hardly subtle, with whole cloves and Chinese dates floating therein. The miso shows a light hand with the dashi and miso paste, and the Thai-style broth exhibits tart lemongrass. The key is that the soup boils down over time and becomes saltier, more concentrated and deeper tasting as the meal progresses. Choose from fish,

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ANNIVERSARY

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beef, poultry, vegetable and tofu add-ins—the pleasant, layered, slippery texture of the tofu skin is a revelation. Asian. 6930 65th St., Ste. 117; (916) 706-3299. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH B.G.

Tacos & Beer This is one of the area’s best Michoacán restaurants. Of its regional dishes, the enchiladas Apatzingán are unusual, filled with only a smattering of sharp cheese and diced onion, soaked in a vinegary sauce, and smothered in very lightly pickled, shredded cabbage with raw hunks of radish and avocado slices. Another specialty is the morisqueta—the ultimate comfort dish due to the unique texture of the white rice, which is as soft as an angel’s buttock. Diners also have the option to order hand-shaped, griddled-to-order tortillas. They are warm, soft, taste like corn and barely resemble those cardboard things you get at the store. Mexican. 5701 Franklin Blvd., (916) 428-7844. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH1⁄2 B.G.

Arden/ Carmichael Famous Kabob It seems like if you’ve had one kebab, you’ve had them all. But as its name implies, Famous Kabob doesn’t disappoint. A skewer of juicy steak sports a nice chew to satisfy any craving. Another of ground beef is flavored with chopped onion and a hint of cinnamon. The braised lamb shank in a tomato-and-saffron

sauce tastes best when the sauce has cooled a little bit and the lamb fat coats the meat like a silken sauce. With deft use of dried herbs and acidic flavors that brighten the dishes and stimulate the taste buds, these are meals that are quietly hearty and nourishing. Persian. 1290 Fulton Ave., (916) 483-1700. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH B.G.

Phaya Thai Thai places seem to define heat differently. At some, requesting “medium hot” still leaves lips tingling for many minutes afterward, while “hot” causes eyes to bleed and steam to gush from ears. Phaya is more circumspect in its application of heat. Medium is barely so and hot is closer to medium. Here, the tom kha gai coconut soup is a bit sugary but, in its vegetarian iteration, brimming with plenty of tofu, dried red peppers with seeds, mushrooms, tomato wedges, galanga and cilantro. Thai fried—as with Thai sweet and sour—is far less heavy than entrees of the same name offered by the region’s northern neighbor, China. Pleasantly provocative is the avocado curry—a panang curry featuring myriad slices of avocado. Portions are large here: The beef salad is enough for two and does have some heated heft. Another salad worth consideration is one featuring a sweet, chewy sausage with plenty of cucumbers, red onion and mint. Refreshing, particularly on a hot Sacramento day. Thai. 4310 Marconi Ave., (916) 482-5019. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1⁄2 G.L.

Featuring The

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with special guests, STeVe WALL

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32 | SN&R | 02.14.13

*Can’t be combined w/ other offers Dine-in only

SACRAMENTO 1420 65th Street, Suite 104 (916) 400-4639 Mon-Sat: 10-8, Sun: 11-4

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hog with the Big Piggin. The first bite is salty and sweet with a rich beef patty, barbecue sauce, cheddar, a strong splash of garlic aioli and sliced pork belly. The Hot Mess is similar, sans pork belly burger and served on sourdough with a fried egg. This kind of hogwild legerdemain, mixing and matching items found elsewhere on the menu, is what elevates this grub shack to well beyond a simple sandwich place. American. 4261 Truxel Rd., (916) 285-6100. Dinner for one: $8-$12. HHHH G.L.

Pangaea Two Brews Cafe Tables, tall and short, are large and communal, fostering that casual camaraderie that should be the goal of any selfrespecting brewpub. There’s a fairly extensive menu, including breakfast items. Not to put too fine a point on it: Pangaea’s offerings are not beers that will be found at a Save Mart Supermarket or even Nugget. They are nuanced. Brewed with artisanship. In some cases, for hundreds of years. There’s the usual panoply of French dip, hot pastrami, Reuben and so on. Among the signature offerings is The Gobbler. Turkey, natch. Cranberry sauce, natch. Then red onion, several roma tomato slices, a thicket of green leaf and pepper jack cheese, all shoehorned into a big baguette. Brewpub. 2743 Franklin Blvd., (916) 454-4942. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH1⁄2 G.L.

North Highlands Las Islitas Scrawled on the front

Natomas Pork Belly Grub Shack Pork Belly Grub Shack encourages customers to pig out with menu items that include a catfish po’boy, steak options and several burgers. For vegetarians there’s the Porkless Bella Burger, a portobello mushroom and jack cheese sandwich with tomato and mixed greens. But who the hell wants steak and chicken and big-headed mushrooms at a place that so proudly promotes pork belly? Go whole

window below Las Islitas is the phrase “de Nayarit.” Nayarit is a state on the western coast of Mexico of which Las Islitas is a coastal town that, one must infer from the menu, goes for seafood in a major way. The shrimp a la cora serves up plenty of grilled, red-dusted, exoskeleton-still-attached shrimp sprinkled with chili that set off with tomato and cucumber slices and red onion half moon slivers. Spicy, messy and memorable. The cazuelitas is a cold seafood stew punctuated with tomato, cucumber, red onion, avocado slices and a lime sauce so intense that bits of tostada are needed to leaven its potentially overpowering impact. It’s a joyful discovery that appears to be complimented, as many of the meals are at other tables, with michelada in foot tall mugs with chili-peppered rims. Mexican.

and a trademarked soy, wheatand-so-forth meat substitute. While colossal, the 1,665-calorie barbecue-chicken salad— there’s a reason the calorie count is not on the menu—has disparate ingredients that combine artfully. Yard House is over-the-top, a bit overwhelming and mustn’t be overlooked. American. 1166 Roseville Pkwy., Roseville; (916) 922-6792. Dinner for one: $20-$40. HHHH G.L.

3618 A St., North Highlands; (916) 331-4302. Dinner for one: $15-$25. HHHH G.L.

Rosemont Sarang Bang The servers at this Korean restaurant are courteous and friendly, and each meal begins with small dishes of banchan. There are three types of kimchi, all pretty low on the spice-o-meter, but Sarang Bang’s gul bo sam is the real Korean taco, no food truck required. Lightly steamed napa cabbage serves as a scoop for pork, spicy-and-sweet zucchini, and thin-sliced raw garlic and jalapeño. Some entrees fall short, but all is forgiven with the spicy chicken. Here, chopped chicken is heavily sauced with a chili paste, garlic and honey concoction. It’s the kind of meal during which conversation is replaced by lip-smacking, grunts and short murmured exclamations like, “So good!” and “Holy crap!” Korean. 3631 S. Port Dr., (916) 368-2277. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH1⁄2 B.G.

Davis Zen Toro Japanese Bistro & Sushi Bar Zen Toro features a large

Roseville Yard House Everything about Yard House is big. It’s a big brick building in the big Fountains at Roseville shopping center. The beers are big, even the samplers. Some can be served in those big vase-shaped “yard” glasses. On the menu, there’s a big selection of wines, designer martinis, burgers, pizza, seafood and steak—and even a big selection of garden offerings;

$ 99

ILLUSTRATION BY MARK STIVERS

Land Park/ Curtis Park

sushi menu, made up of both the steroidal Americanized rolls and traditional nigiri, but it also changes seasonally and features some uncommon offerings: Kinpira gobo with renkon (braised lotus and burdock-root salad) comprises matchstick-sized fibrous pieces of burdock root and juicy slices of lotus in a sweet mirin soy sauce. It also features inventive desserts. The “uji kintoki parfait” (it translates roughly to “Best. Dessert. Ever.”) is served in a sundae glass filled with layers of green-tea ice cream and sweet red beans, and it’s topped with whipped cream, chocolate Pocky candy, salty sesame crackers, peanut clusters, and warm, soft squares of mochi. Sushi. 132 E St., Davis; (530) 753-0154. Dinner for one: $10-$25. HHH 1⁄2 B.G.

Words to devour Local chef, writer and culinary consultant (and, full disclosure, former Food Stuff columnist and current SN&R freelancer) Ann Martin Rolke has planned a new series of culinary events called Tasty Books. The series plans to host quarterly gatherings that pair cookbooks with prix fixe dinners, plus other lectures and tastings throughout the year. It debuts on Wednesday, February 27, at Mulvaney’s Building & Loan (1215 19th Street) with a dinner and book signing by Cheryl Sternman Rule. Her book Ripe, released in 2012, categorizes fruits and vegetables by color and provides recipes, essays, and photographs for each section. Chef Patrick Mulvaney will prepare a prix fixe meal for the occasion. The event, which begins at 7 p.m., costs $60 for one or $100 for two, and each of these ticket options comes with a signed copy of Ripe. Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m. and will feature passed appetizers and an open cash bar—or you can BYOB. For more information, visit http://tastybooks.eventbrite.com. —Jonathan Mendick

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02.14.13 | SN&R | 33

FIND OF THE WEEK

Words on walls DEl PasO WOrDs & Walls PrOjEct For this cool local project, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission teams with the Del Paso BouleART vard Partnership in a search for poets to submit work. The chosen pieces will each be assigned a wall on Del Paso Boulevard. From there, a graphic artist will be tasked with turning the words into an art installation, using metal, paint, stickers, etc.—any rendering is possible; the only constraint is budget. Poems must be about the boulevard, and the deadline for submissions is 3 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26. www.sacmetroarts.org/poetwall.html www.sacmetroarts.org/poetwall.html for application instructions. —Jonathan Mendick

Not at all weird Ostrich PillOW The world’s become a different place since Kickstarter made it easier for would-be inventors to fund crazy ideas. Case in point: the $99 Ostrich Pillow. It’s a wearable pillow that fits over your head like a space helmet—something no old-school investor in his or her right mind likely would’ve funded. Yet, when offered to the public for preorders on Kickstarter, HOME its creators raised $195,094. The beauty of this pillow is that it’ll work anywhere and even comes with places to put your hands. This comfy device will help you get that power nap you so desperately need, even on your cold, hard desk. www.studiobananathings.com/buy-ostrich-pillow. —Aaron Carnes

Wish you were here WOrlD hEritagE list Planning that next vacation? Tired of crowded theme parks? Got the “been there, done that” blues? Check out the World Heritage List, a site that alphabetically indexes nearly a 1,000 destinations TRAVEL in 157 countries from Afghanistan (maybe not this year!) to Zimbabwe. Here, users check out maps and photos, watch videos and read up on ways to get off the beaten path and into areas of “outstanding universal value” that reflect the world’s cultural and natural diversity. Find a spot that whispers your name. And don’t forget to send a postcard. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list. —Mark Halverson

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Wait, what’s that about chickens?! Elf Orgy Keith Lowell Jensen is Sacramento’s hardest-working atheist comedian, warming the crowds for notable comics such as Robin Williams and Doug Stanhope, as COMEDY well as touring the country for gigs and television appearances that include Lopez Tonight and Spike TV’s Manswers. Jensen also just released his third full-length comedy album, Elf Orgy. Recorded for Stand Up! Records, the 14-track album features hilarious bits such as “Chickens Are Dicks” or “I Have a Kid I’m Not Hitting.” Other topics include religion (of course), politics, same-sex marriage and even family, as Jensen pokes fun at himself as a father and husband. The $9.99 album will be available via iTunes and Amazon.com on Tuesday, February 19. Its title, Elf Orgy, oddly enough stems from a childhood memory of Jensen’s—the details of which he reveals unabashedly on the album. Trivia: Richard and Wendy Pini, creators of the comic and graphicnovel series Elfquest, painted the album cover depicting Jensen amid a bevy of wee elfin friends. Of course, digital rarely compares to the real thing—Jensen headlines an album-release show on Sunday, February 24, at the Punch Line Comedy Club. The bill also features other Sacramento comedians including Johnny Taylor, Jaime Fernandez and Michael Patten. Sunday, February 24, at 7 p.m.; $15; Punch Line Comedy Club, 2100 Arden Way, Suite 225; www.facebook.com/kljfans. —Steph Rodriguez

This is your brain on lust Psst! Want a hit of reality? Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with love. It’s our annual celebration of romance, the experience of idealizing another person to feed an intense sensual desire for him or her. Whether sweet or lusty, romance is a siren call that lures us into infatuation. We think of it as chemistry: our attraction to someone that signals the possibility of something more. Actually, it’s just our brain, by Joey ga rcia saturated with amphetaminelike neurotransmitters, on a a s kj oey @ ne wsreview.c om high that lasts between three and nine months. That’s right, we’re drugged. And tripping on the chemistry of attraction is why it Joey is so easy to hook up with someone is reading Catherine who is completely wrong. the Great by Robert K. Massie. When the brain’s attraction drug wears off (after three, six or nine months) our eyes are opened Listen to Joey on (infatuation is blind) to the reality www.1talknetwork.com of incompatibility. So why do we at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. continue to pretend romance is love? We like illusion. We prefer denial. It’s easier to act foolish with our hearts or be the victim of our libido. Self-love begins when we admit and enjoy being enchanted by someone while remaining fully aware that we do not really know that person yet.

Tripping on the chemistry of attraction is why it is so easy to hook up with someone who is completely wrong.

Got a problem?

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review. Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential. Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 3206; or email askjoey@ newsreview.com.

Romance is also about getting things right: arranging the right words in the right sequence for seduction, creating the right atmosphere and employing the right touch to stir a partner’s desire. Advertisements work overtime to establish the rhythm of expectation necessary to send men and women to flower shops, chocolatiers and jewelry stores. But what happens when the expectations nurtured by our culture and the advertising industry are not met? Conflict. Expectations are the vision that each one of us has about how things should be. While it is normal to have expectations, it is also vital to understand that expectations teach us about ourselves, not about our partners. The better we know

ourselves, the more awake we are to our expectations. Marline Pearson, a university professor, has written about how expectations arise from our past experiences and childhood, as well as our previous relationships and the larger culture and media. She notes three kinds of expectations: 1. Unaware: These are the expectations that we are completely unconscious about, yet still drive our attitudes and behaviors in relationships. Investing time in learning about yourself reduces the possibility of clashing with your partner about expectations neither of you are aware of. 2. Unreasonable or too low: Some expectations are so high, no human can comfortably meet them. Or expectations are so low that it’s obvious a person cares little for herself or himself. Unreasonable or extremely low expectations are a red flag. 3. Unspoken: Don’t expect your partner to read your mind. Communicate your expectation and explain why it is important to you. Then, work with your partner to find a solution. In a healthy, committed relationship, partners meet each other’s most important and reasonable expectations. But it’s unreasonable to expect romance just because the culture, media and advertisers claim romance equals love. If you yearn to be swept away by romance, create it for yourself. Dress up and take yourself out to dinner. Or spend time in solitude, exploring your beliefs and attitudes. That’s romantic and it’s self-love in action. Then, when you’re ready, carry real love into the world: Donate supplies to schools, here and overseas, that need support. Fund a scholarship for a child in a developing country. Commit to replacing two regular grocery purchases with fairtrade items. Love the world. When you do, the expectation of romance wanes, and you are liberated from the culture’s power over you. Ω

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Meditation of the Week “We only become what we are by the radical and deep-seated refusal [to be] that which others have made of us,” wrote philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Have you realized yet that “no” means “no”?

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STAGE String theory Stage manager Matthew Compton ensures that the show will go on If the director of a play is the puppeteer and the players the marionettes, the stage manager is the one that makes sure all the strings work correctly. by Maxwell McKee It’s these behind-the-scenes workers, after all, who ensure that every performance, every light, every sound works in perfect harmony. Matthew Compton, 36, has served as production stage manager at Capital Stage for two years. It’s a full-time gig—and one that only a select few in the local theater scene can claim to possess.

It takes a keen mind and a diplomatic tongue to deal with actors, directors, props and stage directions.

On the grid. Off the wall. N E W S & R E V I E W B U S I N E S S U S E O N LY

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somebody at the hub who’s really got those skills to make that happen, I’m not sure a show could ever really get together—well, it probably could, it would just be clunky and bad.” Howarth, who also worked with Compton when she directed Capital Stage’s Mistakes Were Made, says his ability to be empathetic and level-headed make him a natural. Compton says he keeps everything on track with regular communication. “It’s important that we meet once a week to make sure we’re touching base and getting our jobs done,” he says. “Is the [set] build going OK? Are we getting the plans in for lighting designs on time? Does [the] props [department] need help finding a double bed and a working toilet?” All of the pieces have to fall into place. More often than not, those pieces aren’t simple to fit—rather, it’s a process that takes extreme organization and concentration. The payoff, however, can be huge.

At Capital Stage, And, he says, it’s one that’s often fraught DESIGNER ISSUE DATE ACCT. EXEC. Matthew Compton’s with unique challenges. Take, for example, the AL 06.18.09 REM job is part stage language barrier that popped up when REV. DATE management, part FILE NAME Compton worked on a touring, 02.19.09 bilingual prodiplomacy.TRINITYCATHEDRAL061809R1

duction of The Inspector General with the USP (BOLD SELECTION) Colorado Shakespeare Festival. PRICE / ATMOSPHERE / EXPERT / UNIQUE “The Russian director didn’t speak any English,” Compton remembers. “All the PLEASE CAREFULLY REVIEW YOUR designers wereAND Russian. translator, ADVERTISEMENT VERIFYI had THE one FOLLOWING: For more information [and] all I heard was a lot of, ‘Nyet, Matthew! AD SIZE (COLUMNS X INCHES) on Capital Stage, visit Nyet!’ It was insane.” www.capstage.org. SPELLING Of course, the show must always go on. NUMBERS & DATES “It came together, of course,” Compton CONTACT INFO (PHONE, ADDRESSES, ETC.) says now. AD APPEARS AS REQUESTED It takes a keen mind and a diplomatic APPROVED BY: tongue to deal with actors, directors, props and stage directions; Compton possesses those qualities in full. A stage manager’s mind, after all, is trained to deal with splitsecond decisions. “[Theater’s] a well-oiled machine,” says Carolyn Howarth, former artistic director of the Foothill Theatre Company, where Compton worked for nearly a decade. “If you don’t have

The recent Cap Stage hit Enron, for example, took the techno cake when it came to its stunning, seamlessly executed lights and sound. The work that went into its smooth execution, Compton notes with a grim smile, was painstakingly detailed. “I’ve done shows off Broadway in New York all the way to California,” he says. “[Enron] was the hardest show I’ve ever done. I had 741 cues—that’s a lot of cues.” Compton started his work in theater when he was 17 as an intern for the Sacramento Light Opera Association (now California Musical Theatre), and continued his education working for theaters such as the Music Circus, Sierra College and Lambda Players. He then found a home at the Foothill Theatre Company in Nevada City, where he worked for nearly a decade before it closed its doors in 2008. After a stint helming the stages for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Compton returned to Sacramento to work for Capital Stage where, he says, he not only manages his crew, but also fosters connections on a larger scale. “We have such good relationships [in Sacramento],” Compton says. “We can just call each other … and say, ‘I need some help.’” Ω

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02.14.13 | SN&R | 37

February 1 - March 2

2013 Season

Celebration Arts Theatre Presents . . .

Anne L. Peters

by Directed by James Wheatley

A feisty elder Jamaican woman is recuperating from a heart attack. Adamant about not moving in with her daughter, this strong, independent woman lives in a world of flexible realities - asserting her right to make her own decisions. Tickets online: www.mycommunityevents.com

Donate: http://www.gofundme.com/celebrationarts

Celebration Arts Theatre

4469 D Street, East Sacramento 95819 www.celebrationarts.net 916/455-2787 Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm Gen $15 Students, Seniors & SARTA $13 Thurs $8

EVERY THURSDAY.

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Oscar's mea culpa The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Documentary Be warned: It won’t be easy taking all five of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary shorts in one gulp. That is, unless your idea of a good time by Jonathan Kiefer involves a movie about Rwandan children with heart disease, and one about a homeless San Diego teenager, and one about New York City’s weary homeless can-and-bottle scavengers, and one about women in Long Island losing their breasts and their hair to cancer, and one about lonely disappointed elderly people waiting out their final days in a Florida retirement resort. In which case, we’ve got just the quintuple-feature for you.

YOU’RE WELCOME, FILM GEEKS.

“A MUST-SEE!” - Pete Hammond, MOVIELINE

“A CAPTIVATING STORY OF THE POWER OF LOVE AND SECOND CHANCES.” - Whitney English, SHEKNOWS.COM

“At least I’ll save money on hair-care products, right?”

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

STARTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE! NO PASSES ACCEPTED

38 | SN&R | 02.14.13

It is safe to say that outside of animation, the nominated shorts tend not to be comedies. This is the cinema of social consciousness, to an almost punitive degree; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ selection process in these less glamorous categories seems at least partially intended as some kind of mea culpa. In the dramatic shorts, that usually means good intentions in longer supply than genuine tension, and character sympathy stoked less by skilled dramatics than by the emotional residue of First World privilege guilt. It also means a real risk of being upstaged by the heart-wrenching realities of their documentary counterparts. Neither technically nor narratively showy, the latter at least have the great advantage of being true. As Open Heart informs us, rheumatic heart disease is easily preventable with antibiotics and it is virtually banished in the United States, but it’s still a leading cause of death for children in Africa. For the handful of afflicted Rwandan kids we meet in Kief Davidson’s film, the only hope is one dangerously underfunded free clinic in faraway Sudan. Davidson has a lot to deal with, and the film sometimes loses coherence, but it’s not hard to connect emotionally with several frightened young patients and especially the one fed-up surgeon who barks about his many frustrations, advises patience even as his own runs out, and tries to unwind after cardiac operations by stepping outside for a smoke.

Another imperiled-child picture, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine’s Inocente is a warm and vibrant but nonetheless haunting introduction to a homeless 15-year-old girl—whose first name, from which the film’s title derives, couldn’t be more poignantly apt. By her own account “a girl who likes to jump in puddles and likes flowers,” she’s also an aspiring painter, and within the bright colors of her art we glimpse a plea for salvation from a very difficult upbringing. In Redemption, Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill identify an odd byproduct of conspicuous consumption in a devastated economy: New York City’s increasingly competitive can-andbottle-recycling racket. As exemplified by Alpert and O’Neill’s soundtrack— from the sauntering “New York, New York” played over shots of homeless gleaners gathering cans in Times Square, to the Crown Heights Rasta guy arriving at a recycling center to the tune of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”—the tone here is judiciously ironic. How could it not be? Nearby, meanwhile, at the Long Island beauty salon in Mondays at Racine, two sisters set aside extra time and tireless support for women coping with chemotherapy. Having seen their own mother’s struggle with cancer, and in particular the havoc it wreaked on her self-esteem, the sisters’ sense of dedication is palpable. So is the fortitude displayed by their clientele, a diverse group of women whose camaraderie becomes a highly effective support system. Director Cynthia Wade builds a strong rapport with her vulnerable subjects.

This is the cinema of social consciousness, to an almost punitive degree. Similarly, Kings Point is Bay Area filmmaker Sari Gilman’s group portrait of the Florida retirement home at which her own grandmother once lived. This isn’t the place to look for reassuring bromides about riding off into the sunset of life. Gilman’s subjects aren’t just adorably wrinkly wisdom dispensers; they’re people, with wounds and worries, who’ve lived long enough to speak very frankly about the hardships of human connection. Clearly, there’s pathos to be had calling out discrepancies between the way our world is and the way we wish it would be. Documentaries needn’t be very long to be good at that. Ω

by JONATHAN KIeFeR & JIM LANe

Amour

•

From the elegantly pitiless Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, here’s a chamber play of sorts about the most basic human stuff: love and death. (Significantly, love alone is what the title comes down to.) It stars Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as an elderly Parisian couple coming to terms with the end of their life together, along with Haneke regular Isabelle Huppert as a vexed daughter. Maybe no other living filmmaker can so frankly—and, yes, compassionately—assay the buildup to bereavement, that universal terror of lost companionship and certainty and consolation. It’s not just because the leads are elderly that this movie makes so many others seem like trite juvenilia. J.K.

Bullet to the Head

A New Orleans hit man (Sylvester Stallone) and a Washington, D.C., cop (Sung Kang) form an uneasy alliance when their respective partners are killed by the same gang. Here, the French graphic novel by Alexis “Matz” Nolent is retooled by writer Alessandro Camon and director Walter Hill as a vehicle for Stallone, more or less indistinguishable from every other movie he’s made for the last, oh, 200 or 300 years. Stallone blew past self-parody years ago, but he’s always had a middling flair for comedy (Oscar and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) that his audience never warmed to; still, it makes his snarling banter with Kang between gunfights the best parts here. For the rest, it’s business as usual for Stallone to charm yet another generation of fans. Some things never change; it’s almost comforting, in a way. J.L.

Django Unchained

Just know it’s the sort of movie whose premiere gets postponed in the wake of school shootings and whose dialogue contains so many N-bombs that people have glumly gotten down to counting them. Sure, the word was common enough in the 1850s, but Quentin Tarantino is not exactly a paragon of historical verisimilitude. Here, again, the audacious everadolescent revisionist just wants us to know how, like, awesome our history would’ve been as one big bloody badass overlong Westernblaxploitation whatsit. Christoph Waltz plays a voluble and worldly bounty hunter who frees the eponymous hero, played by Jamie Foxx, to rescue his wife, played by Kerry Washington, from a brutal plantation lord played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Gangsta vengeance and tedium ensues. All told, good taste might have been more offensive. Waltz is wonderful, Foxx is deliberately less a character than a trope, and DiCaprio a bit of a bore, except in that he seems to enjoy acting again. Maybe the real revelation is Samuel L. Jackson in a career-capping turn as the slaveholder’s elderly houseman, a sort of terrible and riveting Tarantino apotheosis, or at least an antithesis of the actor’s role as Spike Lee’s Mister Señor Love Daddy. J.K.

A Haunted House

A Los Angeles suburbanite (Marlon Wayans) is thrilled that his girlfriend (Essence Atkins) is moving in with him, but gets more than he bargained for when she appears to bring a ghost along with her. Written by Wayans and Rick Alvarez and (allegedly) directed by Michael Tiddes, this parody of found-video horror flicks has a few scattered laughs, but it’s missing one essential ingredient: somebody to tell Marlon Wayans when he isn’t being funny. Scenes that might have been good for a chuckle go on and on, as if Tiddes had left the camera running while he stepped out for a smoke. Wayans has real (if undisciplined) talent, and Atkins has a nice comic edge, but the most reliable laugh-getter is Cedric the Entertainer as a phony minister spouting “scripture” cribbed from Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction. J.L.

Identity Thief

When a Denver businessman’s (Jason Bateman) life and credit rating are destroyed by a Florida scam artist (Melissa McCarthy), he travels 2,000 miles to persuade her to come back to Colorado and clear his name. How he buys a plane ticket or rents a car with no credit is never explained in Craig Mazin and Jerry Eeten’s imbecilic script; it’s just a contrivance so hilarity can supposedly ensue, but it never does. The movie is frustrating, nerve-wracking and infuriating, with a touchyfeely ending as insulting as it is false, but it’s

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In a not-too-distant future, a zombie plague destroys civilization and divides humanity into the living and the undead. In this bleak world, zombie boy (Nicholas Hoult) meets human girl (Teresa Palmer). Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet gets reimagined by writer-director Jonathan Levine (adapting Isaac Marion’s novel) in a landscape out of countless trashy movies, with generous dollops of Beauty and the Beast thrown in for good measure. Levine maintains the novel’s delicate balance of horror, comedy and romance (with more comedy than Marion wrote), and he provides what could become breakout roles for Hoult and Palmer, after years of wallflower parts—good but unnoticed work in other people’s pictures. The movie is ultimately a guilty pleasure, but enough of a pleasure that we needn’t feel all that guilty. J.L.

never funny. Not once. Amanda Peet, John Cho, Jon Favreau, Robert Patrick and Morris Chestnut are all wasted in a two-person show. Bateman has the name and stature to survive this fiasco, but McCarthy had better watch herself: She’s awfully close to wearing out her welcome. J.L.

Les Misérables

The opera-lite smash from Victor Hugo’s novel comes to the screen, with ex-con Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), his dogged pursuer Javert (Russell Crowe), the doomed Fantine (Anne Hathaway), her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) et al, under the direction of Tom Hooper. There is much to respect in the movie, and the show’s fans will no doubt be satisfied. But they may find it less stirring here than on the stage as Hooper does make an occasional hash of things: unimaginative staging, often sloppy editing and the much-vaunted live singing on the set is at best a mixed blessing. Still, the production is lavish, the casting (including Eddie Redmayne as Marius and Samantha Barks as Éponine) is spot-on. The highlight comes early on, with Hathaway’s searing rendition of the show’s most famous song, “I Dreamed a Dream.” J.L.

Parker

When the leader of a million-dollar heist (Jason Statham) is double-crossed by his cohorts and left for dead, he trails them incognito to Palm Beach, Florida, where he enlists the unwitting aid of a struggling real-estate agent (Jennifer Lopez). Donald E. Westlake’s anithero makes a good fit for Statham (though it’s a mystery why the star’s hilariously clumsy Texas accent doesn’t blow his cover), and director Taylor Hackford and writer John J. McLaughlin do a creditable enough job with the material. True, Hackford lets the suspense go a little slack while he dawdles over the gorgeous scenery (courtesy of the Florida Film Commission and cinematographer J. Michael Muro), but the action is steady and the cast strong with Michael Chiklis as Statham’s antagonist, Nick Nolte as his mentor, Patti LuPone as Lopez’s soap-opera-addicted mother. J.L.

Safe Haven

A young woman on the run (Julianne Hough) lands in a small North Carolina town, where she tries to lie low but can’t help bonding with a widowed storekeeper (Josh Duhamel) and another newcomer (Cobie Smulders). Meanwhile, what she’s on the run from is a Boston cop (David Lyons) who won’t give up the chase, saying she’s a suspect in a murder case. The formula that has served author Nicholas Sparks so well—romance, secrets, heartache, beautiful young people and

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gorgeous Carolina beaches—works once again for writers Leslie Bohem and Dana Stevens and director Lasse Hallström, especially the “beautiful people” part: Cinematographer Terry Stacey’s camera virtually drools over Hough’s lissom legs and pert little behind. There’s a melodramatic climax and a twist ending that’s unnecessary but amusing. J.L.

Zero Dark Thirty

Unavoidably the movie of the year, Kathryn Bigelow’s controversial quasijournalistic thriller, dramatized from original reporting by screenwriter Mark Boal, surveys the decade-long quest to bring down Osama bin Laden. A taut procedural spun from the point of view of Jessica Chastain’s lone wolf CIA analyst, the film seems temperamentally more tenacious than triumphalist, and maybe therefore also as lucid an elaboration of the “war on terror” as we can ever hope to get from Hollywood. But has anyone asked why we should ever hope to get such a thing from Hollywood? Neither the Obama re-election commercial nor the torture apologia some blowhards feared it would be, Zero Dark Thirty certainly captures the cultural legacy of 9/11 and reveals the euphemized brutalities of recent American foreign policy. It’s also a superb example of contemporary political-thriller vernacular, all the way through to its methodical and disturbingly amazing night-vision climax. If this endorses anything, it’s the opportunism of movies. J.K.

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Drawing plot parallels between insider trading and drug-company greed, this tale of comfortable yet variously depressed Manhattanites seems at first to lean toward deadpan satire. Then come the shades of retro thriller noir, and the mind games between a well-meaning dupe and a foxy femme fatale. As to the who’s who and what’s what, that’s best revealed by the movie itself, but it may help to know that key players include Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Also, the director is Steven Soderbergh at his coolly mercurial best and in that exciting middle ground between experiment and entertainment, where formal playfulness goes very well with great faces. Ultimately, this could be a movie that’s really only about the lethal dreamy beauty of its stars. Soderbergh says he’s quitting film after this, but he’s made similar threats before. Maybe he’s just depressed or hiding something. J.K.

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All guts, no glitter Rapper Century Got Bars battles misogyny, major labels and illness to emerge as one of Sac’s fiercest emcees Being a successful female rapper usually means one of two things: Either you’re half-naked and covered in glitter, or you’ve outrapped every by Andrew Bell dude in your crew at some point. Consider the paths of Nicki Minaj, Lauryn Hill and every MC Lyte, Jean Grae, and Lil’ Kim along the way. Then there’s Century Got Bars. The Sacramento rapper usually sports a hoodie (and a noticeable lack of glitter) whenever she takes the stage. But it only takes about half a verse to see how she’s earned her moniker. “Bars”: n. [Slang] referring to the measure rappers use to count the length of their verses. The artist considers it her calling card of sorts. “After every show, there would always be someone who walked up and said, ‘You got bars,’ like they were surprised. I wanted to warn people,” she jokingly explains.

“She’s not dope for a girl or dope for being gay. She’s just a dope emcee.” Brian “AlienLogik” Baptista producer

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40 | SN&R | 02.14.13

Check out Century Got Bars at www.centurygot bars.com and https://soundcloud.com/ centurygotbars.

Misogyny in hip-hop is nothing new, but Bars’ recent rise to popularity in the Sacramento music scene mirrors the recent successes of women on a global level with the rising prominence of artists such as Azealia Banks, Siya and Iggy Azalea. It’s not just sexism, however. Bars, whose latest project is set for release on February 22, has also traveled the country and endured illness to make her mark. In 2012, Bars made history as the first female rapper nominated for a Sammie Award in the Outstanding Emcee category, and her latest solo album, Forget Today Remember Tomorrow, made ripples with listeners who embraced its raw lyricism and fearless vulnerability. That album brought about her current project, Midtown Marauders, a Tribe Called Quest tribute mixtape recorded with Sacramento heavyweight Bru Lei. The inspiration for the collaboration happened after Lei heard Bars practicing for the Forget Today Remember Tomorrow recordrelease show—a set that included Bars performing a medley of classic verses from female emcees such as MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Lauryn Hill. Now, the mixtape also promises to deliver a throwback track list that will play like a guide to the grid.

Here, Lei and Bars trade verses back and forth like Quest’s Q-Tip and MC Phife Dawg, but also manage to keep it local, giving shout-outs to the likes of Pieces Pizza by the Slice and The Press Club. “It’s funny because neither of us is from here,” says Lei. “But I feel like this city, especially Midtown, has totally embraced both of us like its own.” For Bars, the 916 shout-outs play meaningful homage to her new hometown—but her music is definitely rooted in a wider geography. Born in Detroit, the Motor City’s historic soundtrack always played an important role in the rapper’s life. “I was raised up on Motown. Diana Ross and the Temptations went to my high school. My mom grew up with Smokey Robinson’s niece.” Bars says. “It’s just in you when you are from Detroit.” After high school, Bars enrolled at Howard University to study radio and television broadcasting. During her fourth year, she was approached by a major record label (the name of which she declines to reveal for legal reasons) to join an all-girl rap group. Century inked the deal and moved to New York. After the deal fell apart due to complications with other members of the group, Century moved to Atlanta to study the audio recording arts. Eventually, she relocated to the 916 and made her stage debut at Capitol Garage in 2009 as part of the rap trio Major League Sluggas before going solo in 2010. Later, she joined the ranks of the local rap conglomerate the People’s Revolution. In those early Sac days, Bars says she hit the stage with something to prove. There was an overt aggression to her rap style, and she attacked the microphone with an intensity seldom rivaled by her counterparts, male or female. Brian “AlienLogik” Baptista, who recorded, mixed and mastered Forget Today Remember Tomorrow, says her stage presence is impressive. “She’s a force on the stage and in the studio. Not only does she keep up with the boys, but a lot of times they could take notes on how she does it,” Baptista says. “She’s like dynamite. This little, thin frame of a package and then boom! Here comes this incredible passion exploding out of her.” Still, over the course of the last few years—a span of time in which she released three albums—Bars has evolved from the aggressive newcomer with a chip on her shoulder to a more seasoned, self-aware and personal emcee. “I was battling a lot of things myself, personally, and back then, it was all about

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In other words, no labels are necessary. “She doesn’t need the disclaimer, nor does she want it,” he says. “She’s not dope for a girl or dope for being gay. She’s just a dope emcee. Gimmick free.” Now, with another video in the works and the mixtape about to drop, Bars is keeping busy. Once Midtown Marauders wraps, Bars says she plans to tackle all of the feature requests that have been lining up from other rappers; she’s also set to tour the West Coast in March. Those looking for a new full-length album, however, will have to keep waiting. “I just want to be and write for a while,” she says. Ω

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making sure people heard me,” she says. “I don’t have to do that now because I’ve been blessed enough to have people really listening.” But no caterpillar turns into a butterfly without a cocoon. Behind the scenes of 2012’s Forget Today Remember Tomorrow, for example, is the story of an artist who faced illness and recovery to gain a new perspective. It started one August morning in 2011 when Bars woke up in excruciating pain and was unable to move. Over the course of the next several months, Bars underwent extensive medical testing as doctors checked for various illnesses including lupus and cancer. While facing her health issues, Century turned to some of the same people she’d squared off against onstage. “I feared for my life,” Century explained of the day her cancer results came in. “Mic Jordan [of Tribe of Levi] went with me. He sat there and literally held my hand until [they told me], ‘You don’t have cancer.’” Then in March, doctors diagnosed Bars with fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by pain, fatigue and memory issues, and she embarked on various treatment routines, including medication and physical therapy. Finally, as her condition improved, Bars turned her attention back to music once more. Forget Today Remember Tomorrow was recorded and released in just a fourmonth span. The album combines the same lyrical intensity heard on the rapper’s previous albums, with content inspired and driven by a new lease on life. Hence the name. “It’s really about letting go of everything. The past, your own mistakes and unhealthy relationships, and having faith that it gets better if you keep working to make it better,” she says. The first single, “Nola,” chronicles the complications of relationships. The video features two girls falling in love—but wanting different things out of life. There is an accepted normalcy to the video’s somewhat controversial theme. Unsexualized in all of its boom-bap glory, “Nola” is relatable throughout all walks of life. This was a calculated move. “The fact that it’s two girls doesn’t really matter, because the song is about relationships, and we all have those no matter if you’re gay or straight,” she says. And while it’s significant, listeners shouldn’t invest too much thought into the connection between the artist’s personal life and her music, says Forget Today producer Baptista.

Detroit native Century Got Bars, who ditched her major label and moved to the 916, crafts some of Sacramento’s toughest hip-hop.

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02.14.13 | SN&R | 41

15FRI

Brett Shady

The Dollyrots

Groovin High Band

In the Silence

Naked Lounge Downtown, 8:30 p.m., $5

Bows & Arrows, 8 p.m., $5

For anyone who didn’t grow up in rustic Nevada City, Brett Shady’s music might just be sweet and nostalgic enough to make you SINGER-SONGWRITER wish you did—if only for the duration of one of his songs. His music evokes eras-past singer-songwriters such as Woody Guthrie and Jim Croce, and pseudo eras-past singer-songwriters like the Avett Brothers—or Jackie Greene without the I’m-the-next-Bob-Dylan put-on. With all the “darlings” and twangy guitars backed by tambourine, Shady’s 2010 album The Devil to Pay is perfect for that battered-barn-turneddance-hall bash you’ve been meaning to throw; a live rendition of the songs on a Friday night in Sacramento ain’t bad, either. 1111 H Street, www.brettshady.com.

Sometimes you’ve just had enough with being nice. Sometimes you’re just really tired of people. Sometimes your week just sucked, man. Whaddya gonna do? Here’s what you’re gonna do: Head out to see the Dollyrots, and let them do the heavy lifting for you. The Los Angeles-based duo, featuring childhood friends Kelly Ogden (on bass and lead vocals) and Luis Cabezas (guitar), bashes out sugarcoated punk tunes à la the Muffs on tracks such as “Because I’m Awesome” and “Hyperactive.” PUNK Live, the pair is infectiously exuberant and fun. It’s damn near impossible to catch a set and leave feeling worse than when you arrived. So, to recap: crappy week? Problem solved. You’re welcome. 1815 19th Street, www.dollyrots.com.

—Deena Drewis

Blue Lamp, 9 p.m., $7

Shine, 8 p.m., $15 All the best acid-rock bands from the ’60s— Cream, Jimi, Sabbath—had a heavy blues influence. Locals Groovin High Band follow in the footsteps of those legends and take you right back to this late-’60s and early-’70s time period—not in a throwback sort of way, ROCK though. It’s more like an it-soundslike-it-was-actually-made-in-the’60s-and-is-only-now-being-discovered kind of way. The group’s songs vary from heavy proto-metal to groovy Haight Street jams, to even a couple straight-up electric-blues numbers. As much as it’ll take you back to the late ’60s, it also sounds fresh, which is a testament to how timeless this music is. 1400 E Street, www.reverbnation.com/ groovinhighband.

—Aaron Carnes

Local metal act In the Silence presents a surprisingly tremendous range. It takes soft, spacious atmospheric sections and juxtaposes them with dark, heavy power chords. Beauty and ugliness share the same space within a single song, each emphasizing the other. The group’s music expresses such a wide range of emotions—anger, sadness and joy—that it goes underneath the surface of these feelings and finds a common thread between what would otherwise seem contradictory. This is metal for nonmetal heads, or at least metal fanatics with broader musical METAL tastes than just cookie-cutter death metal. In the Silence takes you on a journey, rather than just repeating sections. 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, www.facebook.com/inthesilence.

—Rachel Leibrock

—Aaron Carnes CELEBRATING OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY ALL YEAR LONG!

RESTAURANT ss BAR BAR CLUB ss RESTAURANT COMEDY COMEDY CLUB

THURSDAYS

feb 14 7pm $15 adv

feb 22 7pm $14 adv

Coming Soon

vALENTiNE’S DAY WiTH

Dean-o-holiCS

Feb 27 George Kahumoku Jr. Feb 28 The Neighbourhood Mar 01 Tainted Love Mar 02 Bill Champlin Mar 02 Blackalicious Mar 03 G. Love & Special Sauce Mar 04 G-Eazy Mar 05 Anuhea Mar 08 Monophonics Mar 13 Joe Ely Mar 15 Pablo Cruise Mar 17 Stepping Stone, Secretions, Whiskey & Stitches Mar 20 The Aggrolites Mar 21 Murs / Prof / Fashawn Mar 22 Destructikonz Mar 23 Midnight Players Mar 24 Matt Costa Mar 29 Cheeseballs Mar 30 Hot Buttered Rum Mar 31 Heartless Bastards Apr 03 Dumpstaphunk Apr 05 Lord Huron Apr 06 Conflict Minerals Apr 10 Snarky Puppy Apr 11 Polica Apr 13 Toad The Wet Sprocket Apr 25 Yonder Mountain String Band Apr 26 Built To Spill

Close to you (a Carpenters tribute)

feb 15 9pm $15 adv

fishtank ensemble

feb 22 10pm $8 adv

riz

feb 23 9pm $12 adv

diego’s umbrella

feb 16 9pm $20 adv

alo with California honeydrops

feb 21 9pm $10-20 adv

siZZlinG sirens

feb 24 6:30pm $15 adv

tyrone wellS

with graham Colton & brett young

feb 25 9pm $12 adv

SalvaDor Santana feb 26 8pm $32.50 adv

galaCtiC featuring: Corey glover of (living Colour)

Dress CoDe enforCeD (Jeans are oK) • Call to reserve Dinner & Club tables • all times listeD are showtimes

2708 J Street • Sacramento • 916.441.4693 • www.harlows.com 42 | SN&R |

02.14.13

ROCK ON LIVE BAND KARAOKE

ACOUSTIC ROCK // 9PM // FREE FRI 02/15

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GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TRIBUTE // JAM // 7:30PM // FREE WED 02/20

TRIKOME, MOONDROOL SALT WIZARD JAZZ // ROCK // FUNK // SPACE // JAM 9PM // $5

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VALENTINE’S DAY! THURSDAY 2/14 - SATURDAY 2/17 FROM CONAN, LENO AND COMEDY CENTRAL!

IAN BAGG

DAN GABRIEL, RACHEL MCDOWELL TUESDAY 2/19 FROM THE MAN SHOW AND LOUIE!

DOUG STANHOPE THURSDAY 2/21 - SATURDAY 2/23

STEVE LEMME & KEVIN HEFFERNAN FROM SUPER TROOPERS AND BEERFEST!

THURSDAY 2/28 - SUNDAY 3/2 FROM SULLIVAN AND SONS!

STEVE BYRNE

THURSDAY 3/7

MARIA BAMFORD ONE NIGHT ONLY! FRIDAY 3/8 - SATURDAY 3/9 FROM SHOWTIME, NICKELODEON AND LOCO COMEDY SLAM!

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16SAT

17SUN

18MON

21THURS

Zelda’s 35th anniversary

Boyz II Men

Camper Van Beethoven

Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet

Zelda’s Gourmet Pizza, 7 p.m., no cover

Cache Creek Casino Resort, 8 p.m., $49-$75

If you don’t like Zelda’s Gourmet Pizza, that’s fine—but you’re a moron. “But the crust is gross, wah, wah”—shut your damn piehole, and just eat the pizza, all right? The dimly lit, granite-walled, Xmas-light-festooned joint is a friggin’ institution. And Zelda’s celebrates the big three-five this Saturday with live music, plus the usual stiff drinks, dollar Buds and legendary deep-dish pies. The Bongo Furys, a four-piece cover band featuring members of Sol Peligro, will provide the tunes for the night. I’m told it’s gonna jam on some Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck and PARTY Return to Forever, then invite surprise guests onstage, too. That’s great, but really, it’s Zelda’s goddamn anniversary: respect. 1415 21st Street, www.zeldasgourmetpizza.com.

Odd Fellows Hall, 7 p.m., $18

Skip The Package Tour—this summer’s boy-band-revival fest featuring New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men—and R&B instead just catch the latter group at Cache Creek Casino Resort this Sunday. Why? Well, first off, New Kids on the Block and 98 Degrees are, to quote Office Space, “no-talent ass clowns” who dabble in trite bubblegum pop, while Boyz II Men are actually legitimate R&B talents. Two: This show will cost (and suck) less and is a few mere days after Valentine’s Day (hint, hint). Three: Sunday’s show is less than an hour away from Sac, but The Package Tour’s closest stop is San Jose. 14455 Highway 16 in Brooks, www.boyziimen.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

—Nick Miller

Crocker Art Museum, 7 p.m., $6-$12

Redlands rockers Camper Van Beethoven burst on to the scene in the mid-’80s with five albums characterized by surreal humor, inventive arrangements and violinist Jonathan Segel. It split and singer-guitarist David Lowery started Cracker. CVB reunited nine years later to greater crowds and appreciation. In January, it released La Costa Perdida, its first since 2004’s postapocalyptic New Roman Times. It’s slower ROCK and spacier, and it indulges influences such as gypsy, Tejano and Cali folk. Lowery, who’s spoken about how artists get the digital shaft, admits CVB benefited from wider appetites: “Music’s benefited from radio’s decline because tastes are not nearly as formatted.” 415 Second Street in Davis, http://campervanbeethoven.com.

Considering that the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet’s namesake, the late Dave Brubeck, stood against segregation by leading an integrated band during World War II, it should be no surprise that this group of talented JAZZ young men will perform in a concert titled Jazz and the Fight Against Segregation. Learn about jazz and its role in integration from first-year BIJQ fellows Thomas Kelley (alto sax), Paul Bloom (piano), Adam Goldman (bass), and second-year fellows Rane Roatta (tenor sax) and Malachi Whitson (drums). This special event is one of several connected with the UC Davis Campus Community Book Project and is presented in part by BIJQ’s home, University of the Pacific. 216 O Street, www.crockerartmuseum.org.

—Trina L. Drotar

—Chris Parker

ACE OF SPADES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

GYPTIAN VALU FA - NICEUP FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15

BABY BASH

BAEZA

PLAYAH K - RICHARD THE ROCKSTAR - NO MUTINY CLIQ SUAVE DEBONAIRE - R DOT CARTER - MARK SNIPES CBK - LUCKY LEFTY

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

ALL AGES WELCOME!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21

WALLPAPER & CON BRO CHILL

DIAMOND DEZ - SHAUN SLAUGHTER/D.A.M.B. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

MOLLY HATCHET RELIC 45 - MAXXX

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE - THE WORLD ALIVE UPON A BURNING BODY - GIDEON INCREDIBLE ME

SLEEPING UNTIL THE END - PETROGLYPHS - INCISUS

FOR TODAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17

SOULFLY

INCITE - DAMAGE OVER TIME CHERNOBOG

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

THE MOWGLI’S DESARIO - COLD ESKIMO

KINGDOM OF GIANTS WITHIN THESE CASKET WALLS - THE GREAT DESTROYER

COMING

SOON

02/27 02/28 03/01 03/03 03/05 03/06 03/08 03/20 03/23 03/24 03/27 03/30 03/31 04/02 04/05 04/06 04/11 04/13 04/17

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24

THE SUMMER SET WE ARE THE IN CROWD - GO RADIO

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26

BLAZE YA DEAD HOMIE ANYBODY KILLA - 420 DARKSIDE BOYZ

04/19 04/22 04/24 04/25 04/26

Pennywise (original lineup) Testament Meshuggah 10 Years Reverend Horton Heat Black Veil Brides Otep Rebelution The Joy Formidable Enter Shikari Mindless Self Indulgence George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Seven Dust & Coal Chamber Tech N9NE Johnny Craig Soul Asylum The Rocket Summer The Expendables The Selecter & Lee “Scratch” Perry The English Beat Queensryche Alex Clare Katchafire Taj He Spitz

Tickets available at all Dimple Records Locations, The Beat Records, and Armadillo Records, or purchase by phone @ 916.443.9202

02.14.13 | SN&R | 43

NIGHTBEAT

THURSDAY 2/14

BLUE LAMP 1400 Alhambra, (916) 455-3400

List your event!

Post your free online listing (up to 15 months early), and our editors will consider your submission for the printed calendar as well. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Online, you can include a full description of your event, a photo, and a link to your website. Go to www.newsreview.com/calendar and start posting events. Deadline for print listings is 10 days prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

BYPASSING OBLIVION, ANCYRA, KEEPING SCORE, SKIN OF FATE; 8pm

AGENT ORANGE, SIMPL3JACK, THE ABERZOMBIES, REBEL RADIO; 8pm

BOWS & ARROWS

LIZ BARTON, RICKY BERGER; 7pm, no cover

THE DOLLYROTS, DOG PARTY; 8pm, $5

PREGNANT, SUN COUNTRY, MUCKY THE DUCKY; 8pm, $5

CORY BARRINGER; 7:30pm Tu, $5; ALMA DESNUDA, KINGSBOROUGH; 8pm W, $10

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

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

One Billion Rising w/ spoken word artists and DJ Moss, 6pm, no cover

DAVID BROMBERG, 8pm, $30-$35

Music marketing, 7pm Tu, $10-$25; Laura Martin, Karin Stevens; 7:30pm W, $1-$5

THE COZMIC CAFÉ

Open-mic, 7:30pm, no cover

SIMMS BAND, 8pm, $10

ACHILLES WHEEL, SPARK & WHISPER; 8pm, $10

FLANNEL, MEG BAIRD, DANIEL BACHMAN, DEAD WESTERN; 8pm M, $7

VERDUGO BROTHERS, 9pm, call for cover

DJ Billy Lane, 9pm, call for cover

DJ Elements, 9pm, call for cover

1815 19 St., (916) 822-5668

594 Main St., Placerville; (530) 642-8481

DISTRICT 30

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

ELKHORN SALOON

ISLAND OF BLACK & WHITE, 4pm, no cover

18398 Old River Rd., West Sacramento; (916) 371-2277 Deejay dancing and karaoke, 9pm, $3

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

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

LISA PHENIX, KIERAN STRANGE; 8-11pm, no cover

ISLAND OF BLACK & WHITE, NATURAL DRIFT, VANESSA O’CONNELL; 9pm, $5

E SQUARED, ALEXANDRA & THE STARLIGHT BAND; 9pm-midnight, $5

HARLOW’S

CLOSE TO YOU, 7pm, $15

FISHTANK ENSEMBLE, HOLLOW POINT STUMBLERS; 8pm, call for cover

ALO, THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS; 9pm, call for cover

LEVEL UP FOOD & LOUNGE

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

DJ Rock Bottom and The Mookie DJ, 9pm, no cover

Mass appeal w/ DJ Epik, 10pm-2am, no cover

Hip-hop and R&B deejay dancing, 9:16pm Tu, no cover

LUNA’S CAFÉ & JUICE BAR

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

GENE SMITH LIVES, ROSS HAMMOND, AMY REED; 8pm, $6

AWKWARD LEMON, SEAN FLEMING, TJ MCNULTY; 8pm, $6

Nebraska Mondays, 7:30pm M, $5-$20; Comedy night, 8pm W, $6

MARILYN’S ON K

“Rock On” Live Band Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

THE BELL BOYS, ROCCA VARNADO, ANCIENT ASTRONAUT; 8:30pm, $5

MOONDROOL, TRIKOME, SALT WIZARD; 8-11pm W, $5

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693 2431 J St., (916) 448-8768

1414 16th St., (916) 441-3931 908 K St., (916) 446-4361

MIDTOWN BARFLY

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

MIX DOWNTOWN

DJs Eddie Edul and Peeti V, 4pm-2am, $10

NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN

JUSTIN FARREN, JEFF CAMPBELL, FAT OPIE; 8:30pm, $7

1531 L St., (916) 442-8899 1111 H St., (916) 443-1927

OLD IRONSIDES

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

ON THE Y

670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

SN&R

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 2/18-2/20

SUACE GAME UNIVERSITY, RIDE OR DIE

FOX & GOOSE

SUNDAY 2/17

9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale; (916) 988-9247 RECORDS, LITTLE D, D WRECK; 8pm

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

Hey local bands!

SATURDAY 2/16 Blitz: ‘80s darkwave, goth and postpunk, 9pm, $5

THE BOARDWALK

FACES

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

FRIDAY 2/15 IN THE SILENCE, ZERO CLIENT, TRAINWRECK; 8pm, $7

02.14.13

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Dragalicious, 9pm, $5

Queer Idol, 9pm M, no cover; Latin night, 9pm Tu, $5; DJ Alazzawi, 9pm W, $3 Northern Soul night, 8pm W; Open-mic, 7:30pm M; Pub Quiz, 7pm Tu, no cover

Get Down to the Champion Sound, reggae and dancehall deejays, 10pm, $5

DJs Yung Black Beard, My Cousin Venti, Chris Rohto; 9pm-2am, $5-$7

Gothic, Industrial, Darkwave, EBM, Retro, 9:30pm-2am, $5

Swing, Lindy Hop, 8pm Tu, $6-$10; Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, 8:30pm W, $5

DJ Elliott Estes, 8:30pm-2am, $15

DJ Mike Moss, 8pm-2am, $20

DJ Gabe Xavier, 8:30pm-2am, $10

DJs Gabe Xavier, Peeti V, 8:30pm-2am W, $10

ODAME, COLE THOMPSON, APOCALYPSE SPACESHIP; 8:30pm, $5

Jazz, 8:30pm M; RICKY BERGER, ROBIN BACIOR, SHERMAN BAKER; 8:30pm W

SOME FEAR NONE, CLOCKWORK HERO, MONOMYTH INCEPTION; 8pm, $10-$12

JAMES FINCH JR., CIGARETTE MACHINE; 8pm, $12

THE NUANCE, 7:30pm M; Karaoke, 9pm Tu; Open-mic, 8:30pm W, no cover

IRRITANT, WHITE MINORITIES, WARNRV; 9pm, $6

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Open-mic comedy, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover; Hip-hop night, 9pm W, call for cover

FRIDAY 2/15

SATURDAY 2/16

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CHRIS WEBSTER, NINA GERBER; 8pm, $20

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Country Karaoke, 9pm M, call for cover; DJ Alazzawi, DJ Rigatony, 10pm Tu, $3

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

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

Sunday Night Soul Party, 9pm, $5

MUSICAL CHARIS, 8:30pm M, $5; STALKING DISTANCE, 8:30pm W, $5

FRANK HANNON, 10pm, $10

THE WABOS, 10pm, $10

SHINE

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Comedy open-mic, 8pm M; Bluebird Lounge open-mic, 5pm Tu, no cover

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X TRIO, 5pm, no cover; CANDY’S RIVER HOUSE, 9pm, $5

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DJs Fame Change and X-GVNR, 9pm, $5

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The Bell Boys with Rocco Varnado, Ancient Astronaut and iDream Music Group 8:30pm Saturday, $5. Marilyn’s on K Indie rock and hip-hop

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PHOTO BY RAOUL ORTEGA

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FEATURE

STORY

A RT S & C U LT U R E

AFTER

02.14.13

SN&R

WHAT’S ON YOUR

HORIZON? Join Horizon Non-Profit today for safe access to a wide variety of high quality medical cannabis. Whether you prefer flowers, extracts, edibles or topicals, indica or sativa, we have the right medicine for you. Whatever your medical condition or employment situation, you can come to Horizon knowing that we respect and hold your

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Pathway to legalization Do you think the federal government will legalize marijuana in our lifetime? —Choom Gang They are probably going to have to do something, seeing as we are a representative democracy. Don’t expect anything major to happen for a while. But all signs point to yes. Earlier this month, Congressional Representatives Jared Polis (D-Colorado) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced a bill to legalize marijuana BEALUM and impose a federal excise tax, but all the real by NGAIO action is taking place on a statewide level. Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont have all introduced bills a s k420 @ ne wsreview.c om to legalize cannabis for adults. Indiana is talking about decriminalization. So is Illinois. Six other states have medical-marijuana legislation on deck. Website Capwiz has a good list. This is very similar to what happened with alcohol prohibition. State after state changed their laws to allow booze, and the feds had no choice but to follow suit. The thing we need to do is to keep putting pressure on politicians. I quote National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws deputy director Paul Armentano: “Calling for an end to marijuana prohibition is no longer a political liability; it is a political opportunity. Never in modern history has there been greater public support This is the only thing for ending the nation’s Sen. Mitch McConnell nearly century-long experiment with cannabis prohibiand I have ever agreed on. tion and replacing it with a system of legalization and regulation.” Armentano kinda sounds like a lawyer when he talks, but the point is this: Politicians aren’t always interested in doing the right thing, but they are always interested in keeping their jobs. Remind them that their jobs are on the line. Stay active. All this talk about marijuana all the time. What about hemp? It’s one of the most versatile plants known to man. When are we gonna legalize hemp? —Roger Ruderalis

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

That’s a good question. What about hemp? It grows fast, makes great paper, fuel, building materials and a lot of things that normally get made by petrochemicals, and we would never have to do any fracking. Why isn’t hemp legal to grow in America? Mostly because the Drug Enforcement Administration is worried that growers will hide their killer skunk bud in a hemp field. This notion is plainly ridiculous. Pot growers and hemp farmers don’t even really get along. But the tide is turning there, too. The state of Kentucky has a hemp bill in legislation right now, and even the squares think it’s a good idea. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has come out in support of the bill, releasing a statement saying, “After long discussions with Senator Rand Paul and Commissioner James Comer on the economic benefits of industrialized hemp, I am convinced that allowing its production will be a positive development for Kentucky’s farm families and economy.” This is the only thing Sen. McConnell and I have ever agreed on. I take it as a sign that the world is changing for the better. Ω

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by ROB BREZSNY

FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Afrikaner

author Laurens van der Post told a story about a conversation between psychologist Carl Jung and Pueblo Indian chief Ochwiay Biano. Jung asked Biano to offer his views about white people. “White people must be crazy because they think with their heads,” said the chief, “and it is well known that only crazy people do that.” Jung asked him what the alternative was. Biano said that his people think with their hearts. That’s your assignment for the week ahead, Aries: to think with your heart—especially when it comes to love. For extra credit, you should feel with your head—especially when it comes to love. Happy Valentine’s daze, Aries!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have you

ever sent a torrent of smart and elegant love messages to a person you wanted to get closer to? Now would be an excellent time to try a stunt like that. Have you ever scoured the depths of your own psyche in search of any unconscious attitudes or bad habits that might be obstructing your ability to enjoy the kind of intimacy you long for? I highly recommend such a project right now. Have you ever embarked on a crusade to make yourself even more interesting and exciting than you already are? Do it now. Raise your irresistibility! Happy Valentine’s daze, Taurus!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Happy

Valentine’s daze, Gemini! After careful meditation about what messages might purify and supercharge your love life, I decided to offer suggestions about what not to do. To that end, I’ll quote some lines from Kim Addonizio’s poem “Forms of Love.” Please don’t speak any of them out loud or even get yourself into a position where it makes sense to say them. 1. “I love how emotionally unavailable you are.” 2. “I love you and feel a powerful spiritual connection to you, even though we’ve never met.” 3. “I love your pain, it’s so competitive.” 4. “I love you as long as you love me back.” 5. “I love you when you’re not getting drunk and stupid.” 6. “I love you but I’m married.” 7. “I love it when you tie me up with ropes using the knots you learned in Boy Scouts, and when you do the stoned Dennis Hopper rap from Apocalypse Now!”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): This

Valentine’s season, I suggest you consider trying an experiment like this: Go to the soulful ally you want to be closer to and take off at least some of your masks. Drop your pretenses, too. Shed your emotional armor and do without your psychological crutches. Take a chance on getting as psychologically and spiritually naked as you have ever dared. Are you brave enough to reveal the core truths about yourself that lie beneath the convenient truths and the expired truths and the pretend truths?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Sex itself is a sub-

stitute for God,” says writer Cathryn Michon. “When we desire another human being sexually, we are really only trying to fill our longing for ecstasy and union with the infinite.” I agree with her, and I think you might, too, after this week. Erotic encounters will have an even better chance than usual of connecting you to the Sublime Cosmic Yum-yum. If you can’t find a worthy collaborator to help you accomplish this miraculous feat, just fantasize about one. You need and deserve spiritual rapture. Happy Valentine’s daze, Leo!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Lately, you’ve

been doing exemplary work on your relationship with yourself, Virgo. You have half-convinced your inner critic to shut the frack up unless it has a truly important piece of wisdom to impart. Meanwhile, you’ve managed to provide a small but inspired dose of healing for the wounded part of your psyche, and you have gently exposed a self-deception that had been wreaking quiet havoc. Congratulations! I’ve got a hunch that all these fine efforts will render you extra sexy and charismatic in the coming week. But it will probably be a subtle kind of sexiness and charisma that only the most emotionally intelligent people will recognize. So don’t expect to attract the attention of superficial jerks who happen to have beautiful exteriors. Happy Valentine’s daze!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The coming days could be an animalistic time for you, and I mean that in the best sense. I suspect you will generate lots of favorable responses from the universe if you honor the part of you that can best be described as a beautiful beast. Learn fun new truths about your instinctual nature. Explore the mysteries of your primal urges. See what you can decipher about your body’s secret language. May I also suggest that you be alert for and receptive to the beautiful beast in other people? Happy Valentine’s daze, Libra!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): For the

French Scorpio poet Paul Valéry, swimming had an erotic quality. He described it as “fornication avec l’onde,” which can be translated as “fornicating with the waves.” Your assignment this Valentine’s season, Scorpio, is to identify at least three activities that are like sex but not exactly sex—and then do them with glee and abandon. The purpose of this exercise is to educate and cultivate your libido; to encourage your kundalini to branch out as it intensifies and expands your lust for life.

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

Valentine’s season, meditate on the relentlessness of your yearning for love. Recognize the fact that your eternal longing will never leave you in peace. Accept that it will forever delight you, torment you, inspire you and bewilder you—whether you are alone or in the throes of a complicated relationship. Understand that your desire for love will just keep coming and coming and coming, keeping you slightly off-balance and pushing you to constantly revise your ideas about who you are. Now read this declaration from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke and claim it as your own: “My blood is alive with many voices that tell me I am made of longing.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

According to physicists Yong Mao and Thomas Fink, you can tie a necktie in 85 different kinds of knots, but only 13 of those actually look good. I encourage you to apply that way of thinking to pretty much everything you do in the coming week. Total success will elude you if you settle on functional solutions that aren’t aesthetically pleasing. You should make sure that beauty and usefulness are thoroughly interwoven. This is especially true in matters regarding your love life and close relationships. Togetherness needs a strong dose of lyrical pragmatism. Happy Valentine’s daze, Capricorn!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “All these

years I’ve been searching for an impossible love,” wrote French author Marguerite Duras. The novels and films she created reflect that feeling. Her fictional characters are often engaged in obsessive quests for an ideal romance that would allow them to express their passion perfectly and fulfill their longing completely. In the meantime, their actual relationships in the real world suffer, even as their starry-eyed aspirations remain forever frustrated. I invite you, Aquarius, to celebrate this Valentine’s season by taking a vow of renunciation. Summon the courage to forswear Duras’ doomed approach to love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): To avoid get-

ting hacked, computer-tech experts advise you to choose strong, hard-to-guess passwords for your online accounts. Among the worst choices to protect your security are “123456,” “iloveyou,” “qwerty” and, of course, “password.” Judging by the current astrological omens, Pisces, I’m guessing that you should have a similar approach to your whole life in the coming days. It’s important that you be picky about who you allow into your heart, mind and soul. Make sure that only the most trustworthy and sensitive people can gain access. Your metaphorical password might be something like this: m*y#s@t&e?r%y.

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at www.realastrology.com.

15 MINUTES

Lon Lee is a self-proclaimed jack-of-alltrades, the driving force behind Rio Linda’s Friends of the Library Book Store (440 Elkhorn Boulevard, Suite 7). In his downtime, Lee is also an administrator of the Sacramento Steampunk Society. Not surprisingly, Lee says he’s interested in science fiction, fantasy and noir. Still, he possesses “only a passing interest in history” because school presented it in a “linear” fashion. That might help explain Lee’s interest in dieselpunk, a subgenre of steampunk that he describes as “a form of retro-futurism, a blending of the past and future.” The Sacramento Steampunk Society, which boasts more than 100 local members, hosts its first Steampunk Emporium & Swap Meet on Saturday, February 16. Lee talked to SN&R about steampunk, time travel and new ways of looking at history.

Why a swap meet? We wanted to do something that would be different than the other conventions in the Sacramento area, and we wanted to attract all kinds of artistic people and groups.

What can people expect? The day will be filled with fun activities and maybe some tomfoolery and shenanigans. It will also be a great opportunity to meet members of the Sacramento Steampunk Society, [The] League of Proper Villains, Sac Geeks, High Desert Steam, The Great Basin Costume Society, Pirates of Sacramento, Steam Federation and Retro-Active Arts.

Why did you get involved with the Sacramento Steampunk Society? I was looking for a creative outlet and new friends to work on artistic projects with.

So there’s a creative aspect? Yes, most members create their own clothing, jewelry, gizmos or props. At our monthly planning/maker meeting … members can share their projects and [during a demo period] someone will show how to make or modify something. We’ve had demos for etching metal, pirate scar makeup, proper English dialect/slang and [one] on [making] aging pith helmets. Almost every month the SSS either [hosts] or attends events, and the themes might include steampunk or any of the subgenres … anything that sounds like a fun theme. We’ve had a robots vs. zombies party, a Mad Hatter’s tea party, and for Halloween we did a Dark Carnival.

The definition is different with each person. I think [it’s] Victorian science fiction, |

FRONTLINES

FEATURE

L. DROTAR

Futuristic tomfoolery and retro shenanigans

Define steampunk.

BEFORE

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

STORY

A RT S & C U LT U R E

technology, fashion and style with an innovative modern twist.

Favorite steampunk author? I haven’t read a steampunk novel yet, but I have listened to several audio books. My favorite other type of fiction authors include Isaac Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, Arthur C. Clarke, H. Beam Piper, Keith Laumer, Fred Saberhagen, Larry Niven and Neil R. Jones.

Why steampunk now? Steampunk, or a form of it, has been around in art, books and films for decades. It might be getting more attention now in the mainstream media because more people have started showing an interest in it.

Why do you think it appeals to so many people? Steampunk has a vast variety of themes to select from, and each person can personalize [his or her] style to [his or her] own interests and taste. [You can also add] fantasy, Wild West, noir, adventure, romance, mystery, military, time travel, alternative history, retro-futurism, horror, utopian/dystopian views—or all of the above. … People—the public—were looking for something new. Movies, books and television programs have |

AFTER

become redundant and predictable, and steampunk themes and stories are a new way of looking at things.

How do all of these interests and subgenres function together? Steampunk came along, and anything became possible. Steampunk mixed history and technology and allowed any time period in the world to blend with any other time period in the world. Some steampunkers only look at a specific time period, but our group looks at all time periods. We mix and match to our own individual tastes and interests.

So, how is it possible for them to be combined if they aren’t from the same time period? Like in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, it’s all about mixing new or futuristic technology with the past and future. You can have cowboys riding steam-powered horses, Romans flying airships into battles, 1850s[-era] Scotland Yard [detectives] using computers to solve crimes and clockwork robots falling in love. The possibilities are endless. Ω The Sacramento Steampunk Society’s first Steampunk Emporium & Swap Meet takes place on Saturday, February 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Great Escape Games, 1250 Howe Avenue, Suite 3A; http://sacsteam.org.

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