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It’s SN&R’s lowdown on medical pot—strain reviews, legal news, stoney flicks, culinary tips and more! Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

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Volume 26, iSSue 52

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thurSday, aPril 16, 2015


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April 16, 2015 | vol. 26, issue 52

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Political differences It’s election season. Again. Already! I’m compelled to remind the jaded or cynical that there are in fact major differences between Republicans and Democrats. Your vote for the left matters. Let’s parachute into House of Representatives world, for instance, where this week GOPers will likely vote to give the richest Americans more money. They’ll do this by eliminating the estate tax. This move is a straightup handout to the nation’s 1 percent. It also comes on the heels of a House budget that punishes the country’s poorest folk. Namely, those on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which includes food stamps. Following Paul Ryan’s playbook, the House budget basically eliminates SNAP, killing the federal program in favor of grant money for individual states. A lot of conservatives embrace this states’ rights approach to solving poverty. But let’s have some real talk about the repercussions: If SNAP actually dissolved as per this GOP plan, some 12 million people would be kicked off food assistance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Families still on food stamps would still lose about $200 a month. And fewer low-income families would be eligible for help. To recap: Republicans like Ryan and senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are still pushing trickle-down, job-creator nonsense. They complain about government handouts but then enact subsidies for those who funded their elections. Then they gouge the poor under the guise of states’ rights. Democrats do a lot of this, too. But despite their shortcomings, Dems still stand up to these anti-poor extreme policies. And a Democrat president means fewer GOP shenanigans and a more robust safety net for the poor. You say there’s no difference between Dems and Republicans? Say again?

STREETALK

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OPINION + letters SCOREKEEPER + bites NEWS ARTS&CuLTuRE NIgHT&DAy DISH COOLHuNTINg STAgE FILM MuSIC + sound Advice ASK JOEy THE 420 ISSuE 15 MINuTES COVER dEsign BY haYlEY dOshaY

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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 Janelle Bitker, Raheem F. Hosseini Assistant Editor Anthony Siino Entertainment Editor Jonathan Mendick Editorial Coordinator Becca Costello Contributing Editor Cosmo Garvin Editor-at-large Melinda Welsh Contributors Ngaio Bealum, Daniel Barnes, Rob Brezsny, Jim Carnes, Deena Drewis, Joey Garcia, Blake Gillespie, Becky Grunewald, Lovelle Harris, Jeff Hudson, Jim Lane, Meg Masterson, Garrett McCord,

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Custom Publications Managing Editor Shannon Springmeyer Custom Publications Writer/Copy Editor Mike Blount Custom Publications Writer Brittany Wesely Executive Coordinator Jessica Takehara Director of First Impressions David Lindsay Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Services Assistant Larry Schubert Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Daniel Bowen, Heather Brinkley, Mike Cleary, Jack Clifford, Lydia Comer, John Cunningham, Lob Dunnica, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Garry Foster, Joanna Gonzalez-Brown, Craig Hays, Brenda Hundley, Greg Meyers, Kenneth Powell, Gilbert Quilatan, Victoria Prunty, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resources Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Rosenquist Accounting Specialist Nicole Jackson Accounts Receivable Specialist Kortnee Angel Sweetdeals Coordinator Courtney DeShields Nuts & Bolts Ninja Christina Wukmir Lead Technology Synthesist Jonathan Schultz

Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone (916) 498-1234 Sales Fax (916) 498-7910 Editorial Fax (916) 498-7920 Website www.newsreview.com SN&R is printed by The Paradise Post using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in SN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. SN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel. Advertising Policies All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

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“It was racist why they made it illegal in the first place.”

Asked at the intersection of H and 21st streets:

Would you vote for marijuana legalization in California?

Jaimi Nakata

John Sharkey

Lynne Shearer

student

retired

Yes, if it was on the ballot. Based on courses I have taken in undergrad, it seems like the least harmful drug for adults to take. [In comparison with] tobacco, alcohol or any other thing, you don’t see violence with marijuana. I think there is a medicinal side. I think it has a huge potential tax benefit for the state.

Nicole Kniss

analyst

No, not at this time. I think right now it is being abused. I see young kids with marijuana cards and that makes me sad. Do I believe in it for medical reasons? Oh yes, definitely. Do I believe you should get arrested for carrying some? No. Leave the prisons for the real bad guys.

Everett Penn

barre instructor

Yes, I would. I don’t smoke pot but [legalizing] it might take the power out of the black market. I understand it is a cash crop for the cartels down in the south, so maybe it would help to take some of the power out of that.

Rebecca Whitfield

engineer

I think marijuana should be legalized. I would vote yes. I just think that for people who need it due to illness and stuff like that, it really is beneficial for taking out pain. It is a much safer alternative to pain meds. I am sure it will help our economy.

retired

The way we profit by taxing tobacco and alcohol, it is one more controlled substance we could take advantage of. Initially, it was racist why they made it illegal in the first place, targeting the African-Americans and Latino-Americans who were the primary users back in the day.

Yes. I think it would change all of the political involvement. I think we should have the right to choose without a bunch of political people being in it. I think people need it. I believe in it for health issues.

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BEF R E    | |  N E W S   |   F E AT U R E 6  |  OSN&R 04.16.15

STORY

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No home, no fine When it comes to homelessness, city and county leaders want to focus on solutions. We agree: Curbing homelessness in the region—which includes everything from helping homeless veterans find housing to providing opportunities and care for homeless youth—is a challenge without a silver bullet, and everyone needs to work together and keep eyes on results. To this end, we commend the work of Sacramento Steps Forward, under its new executive director Ryan Loofbourrow, for keeping tabs on the big picture. We also want to applaud Councilman Jay Schenirer, who has stepped up to lead on poverty and homelessness issues. The city has also hired a full-time homelessness liaison, who is working with the Sacramento Police Department’s own homeless-outreach officer. These are important moves that show Sacramento is dealing with homelessness as a social issue, not a criminal one. Still, there remain city and county laws on the books that criminalize homeless people. From prohibiting the sharing of food to bans on panhandling, the city and county need to rethink some of the policies that address homelessness’ mental-health and poverty issues with the blunt tool of law enforcement. Consider the city’s illegal-camping ordinance. This law prohibits sleeping outdoors, the possession of “camping paraphernalia” and so on. In 2014, city police and county rangers issued 1,030 citations under the illegal-camping ordinance. That number is nearly half of the total number of homeless people in the area, according to the 2013 Sacramento Homeless Point-in-Time Count. Violating the illegal-camping ordinance is a misdemeanor that comes with a $230 fine. Attorneys that help convert these We urge city fines into community-service hours say they encounter many of the council to enact same people being cited over and a moratorium on over again. enforcement of its Is the illegal-camping ordinance curbing outdoor camping? Or is it illegal-camping discriminating against people who ordinance. have nowhere else to go, and in turn creating a vicious cycle of repeat offenders? More questions: Is enforcing the ordinance a misuse of police department and court resources? Are violators ending up with bench warrants that incur further judicial and law-enforcement expenses? Is the ordinance consistently and fairly applied? According to Steps Forward, there are not enough beds to house the area’s homeless population. How do we justify misdemeanors for sleeping outdoors if there are not sufficient housing options? We’re pleased that Councilman Schenirer is looking into some of these questions. In the meantime, we urge city council to enact a moratorium on its enforcement. We don’t know how much the law costs to enforce, or whether it’s making a positive impact in the community, so it’s time to put it on hold. Meanwhile, it’s clear that the policy breeds distrust between the homelessness community and law enforcement. We also worry, ultimately, that it’s ineffective policy—much like the war on drugs and its incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders. We agree with state Senator Carol Liu: Homeless people have a “Right to Rest.” Law-enforcement tools like the illegal-camping ordinance should not be used to solve a social issue such as homelessness. Ω |

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Minimum raise, instead?

online buzz

On whether minimum wage ShOuld be raiSed: I realize it’s difficult to survive on so little but when someone who is TRAINED in a specific field (administrative assistant, medical assistant) only gets $12-$15 per hour, I have a problem with someone working in fast food making more than someone who has specific training/education. Why bother to get an education if you can make more slinging hamburgers? Or is that what they really want???

Re “What are you worth?” by Nick Miller (SN&R News, April 9): This article brings up legitimate concerns about workers earning low wages in spite of years of experience at the same job. Instead of raising letter of the minimum the week wage, perhaps it would be better to legislate a minimum raise—something like a $.50 increase over minimum wage for every 500 hours worked for the employer (about three months full-time) until earning $15 an hour. (Partial credit for experience in the industry with other employers might also need to be considered.) There’s no question that experienced workers are more valuable to employers; a minimum raise would require the employer to pay the worker for that value. A dramatic change to the starting wage may make it more difficult to hire and train less-skilled workers, taking away an opportunity from those who need it most. A minimum-raise law would provide a way to balance the need for opportunities for new workers with the need for a living wage for experienced employees.

Lynn Godward

via Facebook

Do they understand that if they make more then the restaurants they work at will charge more and it will cause a domino effect? K.k. Hickey

via Facebook So, went to S.F. and had dinner, there was a surcharge to cover the minimum wage increase they added to my bill of 4%...the server saw a reduction in their tip of 4%. Sorry, I won’t pay more to cover employer wages. That is what will happen downtown as well. I won’t spend money there if I have to pay more. Increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour fine but it will affect businesses and jobs.

David Robarts

S acr am en t o

ATTENTION RESTAURATEURS!

R.m. Daetwyler

More ball

via Facebook

Re “From bottle caps to the big league” by Tom Blodget (SN&R Scene & Heard, April 9): I really enjoyed this article. For being such a prominent part of the game, there is very little coverage that focuses on the backstory of all those great Latino players. This story seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. I hope there is a part two to follow. Anthony Auston Oakland

Has anyone looked at rentals prices in Sacramento? Who can afford living downtown, Citrus Heights, Roseville, etc on minimum wage?! Liz Evans

via Facebook No, it should not be raised. if you want 15 an hour then earn it. If you can’t make that kind of money at the job your at now then better yourself and get a better job. if your working fast food you definitely don’t deserve it.

Correction

Email your letters to sactoletters@ newsreview.com.

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

@SacNewsReview

Timothy Tyler Bandy

via Facebook

In last week’s feature story (“How much are you worth?” by Nick Miller), Holly Dias’ name was misspelled. Sorry, Holly!

$15 an hour for minimum wage is ridiculous. If this passes I’m going to quit my job and go work at a coffee shop and do less work for more money

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@SacNewsReview

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8   |   SN&R   |   04.16.15

SN&R’s 26th birthday More than 300,000 readers   and still growing

This is a milestone week. It is the 45th annual Earth Day. It’s the yearly 4/20 celebration. And it is the Sacramento News & Review’s 26th anniversary. Twenty-six years ago, the first issues of the SN&R hit the streets of Sacramento. It was a big day for us. Starting a newspaper is a little like having a baby. There is all the preparation, planning and anticipation of the birth. Then, delivery of the first issue. Then, the shocking realization that the real work is just beginning. In our case, we have to produce another little one every seven days. We have produced 1,358 SN&R l by JEff VoNKaENE issues since that first day. Our first editor, current SN&R Editor-at-large j e ffv @n e wsr e v ie w.c o m Melinda Welsh, described our mission as “tough love for Sacramento.” Tough in that we would be willing to write critical stories or reviews. We would hold ourselves to a high standard. And most importantly, we would be willing to talk truth to power. But with love. We did not and do not see ourselves as separate from the community. We live here. This is our town. We care deeply about the schools, the arts, the air, the transportation system and all of the hundreds of other things that Unlike other make up a community. But most publications, we have of all, we care about the 2 million people living here. Our hope is not been decreasing that in producing our paper each our circulation. week, we can make the town, and people’s lives, better. Forty-one years ago, I started my career in newspapers working for free at a small local alternative paper. I thought this was the best way that I could help change the world. In telling stories, newspapers help readers learn about their community. Our goal is to have a communitywide discussion within our pages. It is through hearing someone else’s story and being exposed to different points of view that we can see the connections between us all. And only then can we work together to make positive change. It has been a wonderful 26 years. And the paper is doing well. Unlike other publications, we have not been decreasing our circulation. We are distributing more than 80,000 papers every week—and growing. According to an independent survey of local media, we have more than 300,000 regular readers. I am very grateful for the people that I work with. In this space I cannot list them all. But each week we spotlight them in our masthead. Jeff vonKaenel And I am very grateful for the businesses that have is the president, supported us over the last 26 years. Their ads have made CEO and the paper possible. And recently, medical marijuana has majority owner of the News & Review helped the paper survive, replacing advertising lost from newspapers in local businesses hurt by the recession and business lost to Sacramento, Internet titans. Chico and Reno. And I am particularly grateful to you, the readers of the paper. Twenty-six years ago, it was a total thrill for me to see someone reading our first issue. Today, I still get a thrill when I see someone turning the pages of our newest issue. Thank you for reading. Ω


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8:29 AM


Looking for legal advice? ✆

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by SN&R staff

SCORE KEEPER Sacramento’s winners and losers—with arbitrary points

SACRAMENTO

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Need Assistance with Applying for or Appealing Veterans Disability Benefits & Compensation? Contact: (916) 480-9200 Law Office of Steven H. Berniker, APC Veteran Advisor – Sgt Major (Ret) Daniel J. Morales Location: 2424 Arden Way, Suite 360 Sacramento, CA 95825

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King of Kings, heyo!

Play ball?

ESPN and Grantland.com scribe  Bill Simmons cut loose on Kings  majority owner Vivek Ranadive last  week. Here’s a Tweet regarding  Vlade Divac’s hiring as top  decision-maker: “Pretty sure  Vlade Divac hasn’t been involved  in the NBA, in any capacity, in  10 solid years. Now he’s one of  the 30 GMs. This is too good.�  Scorekeeper agrees: Ranadive’s  on the Al Davis diet, and we’ve  put him in charge of downtown’s  renaissance!

Major League Baseball opened last  week, so perhaps that’s why, on  Saturday morning just after 1 a.m., a  guy with a baseball bat tried to rob a  group of individuals near R and 13th  streets. “A group of subjects were  walking along the sidewalk when a  vehicle pulled up beside them. One  passenger from the vehicle armed with a baseball bat demanded money  from the group,� reads the police log.  The subjects were able to get the bat  from the suspect, which prompted a  struggle before the suspects fled.

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LOVE,

Animal Planet is paying for all pet  adoptions on Saturday, May 9, at the  Sacramento SPCA (6201 Florin-Perkins  Road). The event is part of the Road  to the Puppy Bowl tour for Animal  Planet, which will supposedly include  Sacramento pets in its annual Puppy Bowl telecast during the Super Bowl next year.

& THIS LION

+ 916 New Bee columnist Sacramento Bee courts reporter Andy Furillo is leaving—to be a new sports  columnist over at “The Hive.� Scorekeeper will miss his crime and courts  writing—but he’s gonna kill as a local sports columnist.

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10   |   SN&R   |   04.16.15

Breton is back

DUI duh

Marcos Breton has avoided  controversy this year and, at least  according to Scorekeeper, has inked  some smart columns on health care  for undocumented Sacramentans,  and so on. Butâ€ƒâ€Śâ€ƒlast Sunday’s  column on the Kings-arena-subsidy  lawsuit—let’s just say Breton should  resist temptation to play Kings  cheerleader and focus on nonCity Hall/S.F. Giants/Kings topics.  Because his old tricks are dog tired.

File this under “Don’t drive drunk  in front of the jailhouse�: On  Monday morning near downtown’s  jail on I Street, “Officers were  exiting the jail after booking a  prisoner when they came upon a  vehicle driving the wrong way,�  the police log reads. “The driver  was arrested for suspicious  on DUI after a preliminary test  indicated that she was well over  two times the legal limit.�

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If we’re going to have a meaningful  conversation about Regional Transit’s  future, riders should be part of it There’s been talk recently about the future of Sacramento Regional Transit, especially efforts to clean up the system’s image and make RT more appealing to more affluent “choice” riders (see my recent SN&R Feature Story, “Taken for a Ride,” from March 26). A couple of things seem to be missing from the conversation. First, when we talk about the big decisions facing RT right now— ARvIn G like the downtown streetcar, or restoring o SM Co by service, or “rebranding” RT—we are not cosmog@ newsrev iew.c om talking nearly enough about equity and fairness to those rely on public transit. And RT doesn’t give transit riders, especially the “transit dependent,” the same voice in setting policy that other large urban transit systems do. Take RT’s “ad hoc system improvement committee,” a tool for business people and developers to shape RT policy, and to which low-income and transit dependent riders are explicitly not invited. “The public has no voice at RT,” says Chris Jensen, chairperson of RT’s Mobility Advisory Council, a.k.a. the MAC. The purpose of the MAC is to provide the perspective of seniors and the disabled. They give advice and help educate operators about the Americans with Disabilities Act, try to solve problems with physical barriers and signage, and sometimes weigh in on fare issues. If there’s going to be a big effort to improve RT service, seems you’d want to hear from MAC—especially when you’re talking about things like moving light-rail stations. But “neither RT nor to the ad hoc committee has reached out to us or asked us to participate,” says Jensen. Jensen says riders generally don’t have much juice at RT. Sure, they can go to board meetings. “RT lets us talk, but it doesn’t have much weight.” And it’s hard for the transit dependent to even go to RT board meetings. Given the agency’s limited service, they are likely to miss the last bus home. RT board member Phil Serna says the ad hoc business-people committee will ask for public input. But that’s very different from having a seat at the table. In Sacramento, the RT board of directors are city council people from Sacramento and other smaller cities, or county supervisors like Serna. They are a wealthier, less-transit-dependent group of people than the larger population. “There is no transit rider on the board,” says Jensen. “No one really rides the buses. No one rides the Blue Line. They don’t have a clue about what it’s like to wait for a bus for an hour and have it show up and be totally full.” It’s different in other cities. In Portland, the TriMet board of directors is elected to represent geographical districts. The directors come from business and labor and transportation BEFORE

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backgrounds. Some are there to speak up for poor and underserved neighborhoods. There’s also a Transit Equity & Access Advisory Committee, which exists specifically to get the transit dependent involved in policy decisions. In San Francisco, the board is a mix of business people, transit experts, transit advocates and people from community organizations. There, again, the Citizens’ Advisory Council has public meetings every month, and produces regular reports advising S.F. Muni on everything from fares to budget items to ideas for raising revenue to improve the service.

In 2011, the UC Davis Center for Regional Change took an in-depth look at RT, through the lens of transit equity. The researchers found that recent cuts in service “have shifted the burden disproportionately to more transit-dependent block groups.” Also, they found “transit dependent places get the worst service.” Related to this, “The current RT governance system is not representative of its ridership.” So, CRC suggested several best practices from around the country in order to “meaningfully incorporate the voices of transit dependent riders.” One possibility was to have the MAC transform into a citizens-advisory committee with a broader mission and a more formal role in decision making, along the lines of the committees seen in other big cities. Another idea was to add a rider representative to the board. Jensen said it would be an improvement to add even a non-voting rider rep, just to have someone there to speak up for the transit dependent. RT didn’t take notice of the recommendations. But the truth is, there could be rider representatives on the RT board tomorrow. The Sacramento City Council could appoint someone from the community; there’s nothing in law that says member cities have to appoint politicians. Bites isn’t sure of the best model. But we should talk about it, and talk more about equity. If we’re going to have a meaningful conversation about RT’s future, riders should be part of it. Ω

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Age before cruelty Sacramento County’s elder population vulnerable to abuse As Sacramento County’s senior population surges, so do instances of elder abuse—both physical and financial. That was the by message delivered last week by the county’s Elder Death Raheem Review Team, a collection of 25 law-enforcement, socialF. Hosseini work and health personnel at the state and local levels. Committee chairman Paul Durenberger, who doubles as r a h ee mh@ newsr evie w.c om an assistant chief deputy with the district attorney’s office, presented his team’s annual report to the board of supervisors on April 7. According to the report, county Adult Protective Services received 1,324 allegations of financial abuse last year, up 43 percent from 2010. “The financial abuse seems to almost run rampant,” Durenberger told supervisors. “It happens in almost every physical abuse case that we see.” That overlap wasn’t the only commonality. While nearly half of the 24 elder deaths the team reviewed between 2012 and 2014 were the result of natural causes, troubling themes emerged in the cases where something went wrong. Nearly 60 percent of the cases studied involved seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment, while 40 percent of abusers were the adult children of the victims. Thirty-five percent of abusers were termed “overwhelmed caregivers,” while 29 percent were said to be dependent on the victims for “The financial abuse financial or housing support. Poverty was also a recurring seems to almost run issue for victims. Using five case studies as rampant.” illustrations, the team explored recurring problems that involved Paul Durenberger overwhelmed caregivers contendchairman, Sacramento County ing with reluctant parents, a Elder Death Review Team lack of communication between involved agencies, and hospitals and care facilities that didn’t always perform up to snuff. In one, an 86-year-old woman experiencing dementia or cognitive impairment died after being admitted to a hospital with brain bleeding, a prolapsed uterus and bruises. Hospital staff suspected her adult child caregiver of abuse. Despite four previous referrals to Adult Protective Services for alleged neglect, no autopsy was done and the sheriff’s department didn’t file a report. While Durenberger said that was the only case “where law enforcement dropped the ball,” the system as a whole failed pretty regularly. In fact, “system failure” and “inconclusive evidence” were cited in 34 percent of the elder death cases the team reviewed. In one, a 99-year-old Asian woman was brought to An extended version a hospital emaciated and with bed sores so severe they of this story can be couldn’t be operated on. Investigators determined the read at www.news woman’s adult-child caregiver was following the limited review.com/ instructions of a doctor who had been sanctioned multiple sacramento. times by the state Department of Health Care Services. Increased training for first responders is already in the works. The county can also mandate that law enforcement is notified when an accused abuser is released following a psychological evaluation at a hospital. Durenberger’s team recommended that nursing facilities operating within the county be required to notify Adult Protective Services upon a patient’s death, which could require legislation to enforce. “That ought to be the law,” Supervisor Don Nottoli agreed. Ω 12

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Race to the cop After seven silent years, Sacramento’s racialprofiling commission wants to start doing its job A racial-profiling commission that hasn’t done much of anything the past seven years may finally get a second life. by Members and staff of the city of Raheem Sacramento’s Community Racial Profiling F. Hosseini Commission tell SN&R there’s movement ra h e e m h @ ne w s re v i e w . c o m to revive the long-dormant body, which was rendered toothless after spearheading a troubling 2008 report that found police were twice as likely to pull over black motorists than nonblack drivers. Black and Latino drivers were also asked to exit their vehicles at higher rates than their white and Asian counterparts, the report’s executive summary states. The findings sparked a series of reforms that were undertaken by the police department, but there’s been no external review to see whether those reforms have worked.

At the center of this hands-off approach is the racial-profiling commission, which is prevented from officially hearing community concerns or reviewing the traffic-stop demographic data that the police department collects. “It’s not even their fault,” said Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who planned to meet with committee members on April 16 as part of a larger effort to hear police accountability concerns in the city. Long story short: The commission’s charter was written in such a way that its mission essentially ended once the 2008 report was released. The advisory body has been spinning its wheels ever since, despite anecdotal complaints that minority drivers are still being targeted in enforcement stops. “We wouldn’t need a racial-profiling commission if we didn’t have a problem,”


ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN BRENEMAN

For seven years, Sacramento’s lame-duck Community Racial Profiling Commission has watched the police department comply with a voluntary mandate to collect traffic stop data, but hasn’t been able to examine it.

BEATS

Tough medicine arrange pro bono defense and appeals on behalf of the accused. Vellucci believes police have deliberately targeted organizers as a way of dissuading people from protesting. “They know exactly who everybody is,” he said of the police. “They know who the organizations are. They’re sending a message.” Meanwhile, the effort to unshackle an advisory body that’s supposed to track who the police stop and why stalled over policy language and political disinterest. That left the racial-profiling committee without a real purpose and a frustrated, turnover-prone membership. In recent years, the commission has scheduled fewer meetings and canceled more of them. It’s met twice this year so far, but canceled all but one of the four meetings scheduled last year. In 2010, the committee met eight times. City attorneys have told commission members they need a benefactor on the city council to bring their amended charter to committee, a crucial first step before the council can vote on the matter. Elected representatives have been largely deaf to such requests. Council members Allen Warren, Larry Carr and Jeff Harris didn’t respond to emails seeking comment.

“ We wouldn’t need a racial-profiling commission if we didn’t have a problem.”

Because right now they really don’t [have one].” Odeye said an amended charter proposal has been delivered to all council members for review. If approved, it would empower the commission to advise the council on all profiling matters, not just with regard to traffic stops. The commission would act as a liaison between the community and police, and help residents bring formal complaints to the city’s Office of Public Safety and Accountability, which monitors the police and fire departments. Along with reviving the commission, Odeye and Gutierrez—who co-founded the Justice Reform Coalition in 2005—want to provide OPSA with more resources. Aside from an assistant, director Francine Tournour is OPSA’s lone staff member. “She’s good at what she does,” Odeye said. “But she’s still only one person.” One thing a revived commission still wouldn’t be able to do, it seems, is study traffic-stop data. Odeye said police officials have told him that there’s “no way for them to extract what we want,” and that such raw data would be “meaningless” without the proper context, something that the authors of the 2008 report acknowledged. Earlier this year, police chief Sam Somers Jr. said his department would be one of several agencies around the nation to allow UCLA to study its enforcement stops and use-of-force incidents over a period of three years. Ultimately, Odeye and Gutierrez want the racial-profiling commission to evolve into a full-scale civilian-review board with subpoena powers over the police department. “That is the ultimate goal,” Odeye said. It’s also unlikely, with the Sacramento Police Officers Association and others against the idea. Tournour is also on the fence about a civilian-review board. She says OPSA’s monitor-auditing form of oversight is more appropriate for a city of Sacramento’s size. But she did share the optimism of Odeye and Gutierrez that the commission will finally be revived in some fashion. All three also describe a good working relationship with the Sacramento Police Department, which they say is receptive to community input. “They seem to be the only department that’s responding to any of the people’s wishes,” Odeye said. Regarding her role on the ad hoc committee, Ashby hopes to have a police accountability framework before council this summer for discussion. Ω

said Efren Gutierrez, a community activist who mounted an unsuccessful city council campaign last year. “Let’s not be naive.” In recent months, the behind-thescenes effort to amend the committee’s charter has picked up. The process is unspooling as the nation reacts to Efren Guttierez the death of Walter L. Scott, another Justice Reform Coalition co-founder unarmed black male dead at the hands of a police officer, following a traffic stop gone awry in South Carolina. “We can do so much more than “I think it does show, to me, that a we’re doing,” acknowledged Ashby, committee like this is necessary,” longwho is gathering input on policetime member Rev. Ashiya Odeye said of accountability issues as part of a public the incident. safety ad hoc subcommittee that formed Closer to home, protesters have in the wake of civil unrest in Ferguson, clashed with police, resulting in numerMo., where police targeted black ous arrests against those calling for residents with citations and fines for a greater law-enforcement oversight. period of years. Along with Maile Hampton, a black “This is one of those silver-lining activist whose misdemeanor “lynching” moments,” she said of Ferguson. “It arrest has been widely condemned, four prompted our mayor to take a leadership others are facing charges or have been role, and it prompted us to do this.” convicted of infractions related to their Ashby suggested a revamped participation in a January 18 protest callcommission should examine issues of ing attention to law enforcement abuses. bias, not just race, and examine arrest “It’s a complete waste of taxpayers’ data, not just traffic-stop data. Most dollars,” said Cres Vellucci, a represenimportantly, she said, the committee tative of the National Lawyers Guild’s needs a “defined role with police. local chapter. The guild has worked to B E F O R E   |   N E W S   |   F E A T U R E S T O R Y   |    A R T S & C U L T U R E

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Vaccination hysteria swept into Sacramento last week. About 50 vaccination supporters joined more than 1,000 protesters at the April 8 Senate Health Committee hearing for a bill that would eliminate the personal exemption for childhood vaccinations. Attendees filled the main room and five overflow spaces, including the basement and the sixth-floor cafeteria. The hot-button Senate Bill 277 centers on whether parents or the government should make personal medical choices that potentially impact the public. “I’m committed to taking every step I can to reduce the risk to my child,” said Vaccinate California founder Leah Russin during the hearing. “We need to protect the rights of those who choose to vaccinate, to free them from the hazards posed to them from nonvaccinated individuals.” Many in opposition to SB 277, however, feel the real hazards are the vaccines themselves. “As a new parent, we weren’t necessarily told the risks,” said Tamara Morales of Cameron Park. Morales said her daughter Eden developed a seizure disorder from a vaccination. But Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, said some parents are misinformed about vaccines. “Let me be clear,” he said. “There is no scientific controversy about vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness.” At a pre-hearing rally, prominent California pediatrician Dr. Bob Sears said the crux of the bill lies in informed consent. Blumberg disagreed, comparing those who don’t vaccinate to drunk drivers. The bill moved forward on a 6-2 vote. (Brooke Purves)

Midtown hospitality The Midtown Business Association met last week to discuss problems some merchants are having with a recently relocated homeless youth provider. According to a 15-page report, neighboring businesses like Buckhorn Grill, the Bread Store, City Bicycle Works, the Gifted Gardener and others noted an increase in trash and loitering around the area since Wind Youth Services opened up shop at 17th and J streets. Also mentioned were drug use, physical altercations and camping in the back alley behind Wind’s new location, on the third floor above Big Brother Comics. Complaints were filed with the MBA, Sacramento Police Department and the building’s management. MBA executive director Emily Baime Michaels confirmed the April 10 meeting, but declined to go into detail. Development director Sarah Mullins said Wind is aware of the growing concerns and held an April 1 open house to educate those interested on the positive impact its services provide homeless youth. On a given day, the center serves 46 youth. “Youth homelessness is not a new problem to downtown or midtown,” Mullins said via email. “We’re doing everything we can to provide solutions and a positive space.” (Steph Rodriguez)

Burnt pizzeria

Pizzeria Urbano still hasn’t fully recovered from a small March 27 fire. “It’s amazing,” said owner Carlos Ulloa. “We looked at the damage and we thought it was a one-week thing.” A revised estimate now has the parlor near the MARRS building on 20th Street reopening at the end of this month or in early May. Apparently, one of Urbano’s ovens was too close to a wall. Gradually over time, the wall overheated and flamed up. It was quickly contained, but Ulloa needed to build a new wall. That process took time, but most consuming is getting new permits from the city and the health department. Last week, Ulloa hoped his new wall would do the trick, but inspectors told him to rebuild on Friday. (J.B.)

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SunriSe Plaza – Best Place – For a Drink To Hear Live Music B E F| O R E   |    F ONTLINES   14  SN&R |  R04.16.15

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by Jordan Venema

A new exhibit documents one Sacramento photographer’s mission to preserve the stories of Japanese men and women interned during World War II.

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aul Kitagaki Jr. is accustomed to capturing news as it happens. But for the last 10 years, the Sacramento Bee senior photographer’s life work has turned to preserving the stories of his parents’ generation. Kitagaki’s photographic portraits of Japanese men and women interned during World War II form a collective work called Gambatte! The Legacy of an Enduring Spirit, currently on display at the California Museum through May 3. In 1942, the U.S. government passed Executive Order 9066 and incarcerated 120,000 ethnically Japanese people, two-thirds of whom were natural-born citizens. Kitagaki’s

PHOTO BY LISA BAETZ

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own family was interned at the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, only miles from South San Francisco, where he grew up. “As a kid we drove by the race track,” says Kitagaki, who says he learned about this internment not from his parents, but in a history class. “Imagine I’m 16 years old. I’m shocked, I’m surprised, I’m angry at the injustice,” says Kitagaki. “They were U.S. citizens. How could this happen?” His parents spoke little of the experience. “Bad food, desolate and dusty living conditions, that’s pretty much what I got from conversation,” he says now. Like other Japanese of their generation, Kitagaki says his parents kept it to themselves.

Sacramento photographer Paul Kitagaki Jr. didn’t learn of his own family’s internment until he was a teenager.

“They didn’t want to burden my “feeling” of Lange’s work. His exhibit generation with their experiences.” displays original portraits beside the Burden or not, the images on WRA photos, and includes a written display in Gambatte! now give narrative. voice to those stories of his parents’ “It was hard to get them to open up generation. and talk,” Kitagaki admits, but once The seed for this project was they recalled memories either forgotplanted in the late ’70s when ten or never before vocalized, many Kitagaki’s uncle mentioned that came to tears. Dorothea Lange had photographed The people who he located had their family in 1942. Lange remarkable stories. photographed internees for the War Harvey Itano was top of his class Relocation Authority, but according at UC Berkeley, and was interned to Kitagaki, those photos were before his graduation ceremony. Itano “suppressed or censored during couldn’t walk with his class, but went the war and buried in the national on to co-discover the genetic cause of archives.” Not until Lange’s assissickle cell anemia. tant collected the photos in 1972 Ben Kuroki volunteered with did they become the Army Air publicly known. Corps in an In 1984, attempt to prove While Gambatte! Kitagaki visited his loyalty. He the National received dispensatells these Archives to find tion to become stories in depth, Lange’s photo a fighter pilot, of his family. flew missions Kitagaki makes He spent hours over Europe as clear that sifting through well as Japan and they don’t just thousands of established his photos stuffed in reputation as a belong behind “dozens of shoewar hero. museum walls­ sized boxes,” Mary Ann none with names Yahiro was 7 the photographs and only a few when interned. are still relevant with locations Her mother, a written on the schoolteacher, was in today’s social back. Kitagaki arrested and taken milieu. saw in those to a separate camp, photos “so many and Yahiro never faces, so many saw her again. stories, but very few answers.” He Mitsuo Mori, third-generation found what he had come for, but left Japanese-American, stood next to with more questions. his own portrait in the California “I really wanted to find out how Museum. Executive Order 9066 changed the At 9, Mori says he made the lives of internees who lost their homes, best of “camp,” though his parents their businesses and sometimes their struggled with hopelessness. “They families,” he says. had no idea what the future was But first he had to find them. going to be,” he says. They had Kitagaki began asking members owned a successful dry-cleaning of the Japanese community to help business in San Francisco, which identify family and friends from internment forced them to sell for WRA photos. He left poster boards $450. When they finally left Tule with photographs at Buddhist temples Lake Segregation Center in 1946, and churches with strong Japanese “they couldn’t come back and start communities. It was a slow process, all over.” but “that’s how it got started,” says Mori would become an architect, Kitagaki. He’s identified 30 people but his parents’ lives had been over the last 10 years. irrevocably interrupted. After internAfter Kitagaki located subjects, ment, they moved to Watsonville to he photographed them with a 4x5 work on a strawberry farm where camera and Polaroid Type 55 film they stayed “the rest of their lives as to recreate what he describes as the farmers.”


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SCENE& HEARD Swing high, swing like a clown

A historic photograph of Helene Nakamoto (left) and Mary Ann Yahiro (right) reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at their San Francisco elementary school before their relocation to the Topaz Internment Camp taken in 1942 by Dorothea Lange.

While Gambatte! tells these stories in depth, Kitagaki makes clear that they don’t just belong behind museum walls—the photographs are still relevant in today’s social milieu. In February, he made this case before an audience at the California Museum, presenting his exhibit at the annual Northern California Time of Remembrance, a program hosted by the Japanese American Citizens League. Both Kitagaki and representatives from the JACL shared the same message: These stories aren’t just for Japanese Americans, but for all Americans. At the beginning of the program, emcee Cheryl Miles, former Florin JACL president, led the mostly Japanese audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence for the February 10 Chapel Hill shooting of three Muslims. “These tragic shootings remind us that the work of all the JACLs and all the organizations dedicated to the protection of all Americans’ rights to live a life free of fear and persecution is not only relevant today, but urgent,” said Miles. Then, to express solidarity with Muslim Americans, Miles added, “We stand beside you, we were you, we are you, we are all Americans.” Maheen Ahmed, a representative with the Council on American-Islamic Relations who was in the audience, says she felt inspired by Kitagaki’s work. Because, she explains, “If we don’t document these stories within our own communities, who will? If he didn’t do it, that history would be lost.”

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In the last decade, CAIR has recorded a rise in crimes against Muslim Americans, which Ahmed believes makes Kitagaki’s exhibit more relevant than ever. “The phobia is worse now than after 9/11,” she says. “Although we don’t have internment,” she admits, “we do have different policies in place that give a similar fear in the Muslim community.” Legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act, which allows the government to detain citizens without due process, has left Muslim Americans with a sense that “we are not welcome, we’re not seen as American citizens,” says Ahmed—a sentiment that was shared by many Japanese Americans during internment. But according to Ahmed, this isn’t just a Japanese or Muslim problem. “This is our history as Americans,” she stresses. “To understand what’s going on now, you have to understand our history, and hope we don’t repeat injustices.” But for Kitagaki, time is of the essence to document and share these stories. “The Japanese community is shrinking,” he tells SN&R. “I don’t want these stories to get lost.” “I need your help,” Kitagaki told the audience. “As you know, many of you guys are in your 80s and 90s, and soon you’ll be gone and then your stories will be forgotten.” In the end, it’s about documenting and preserving both the universal and personal histories, he explained. “You guys were so much more than the numbers you were forced to wear on your clothing. … You’re not a number.” Ω

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Paul Kitagaki is still seeking to identify subjects from War relocation Authority photos. for more information, visit www.kitagakiphoto.com.

Gambatte! the legacy of an enduring spirit is on display 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tuesday through sunday at the california Museum, 1020 o street. Admission is $9 for adults, $7.50 for students and seniors, $6.50 for youth ages 6-16 and free for children 5 and under. through May 3. for more information, visit www.californiamuseum.org.

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Photo courtesy of cirque du soleil

Is there no limit to the imagination and creativity of the folks of Cirque du Soleil? Apparently not. The Cirque show Varekai, which closed last Sunday in Sacramento and headed to Stockton, where it will play through Sunday, is one of the troupe’s 18 shows around the world. Later this year, Cirque du Soleil and James Cameron will team up for a live-action Avatar production. It’ll probably have more blue in it than some of the other shows, but all are quite colorful. Varekai debuted in 2002 and has been seen by more than 8 million people in its 13 years. “Varekai” means “wherever” in the Romani (Gypsy) language, and like the wandering Romani, the story pays tribute to the nomadic soul and the questing spirit. The story begins when Icarus (the boy for whom Daedalus, his father, created wings of feathers and wax) falls from the sky—not into the sea but into an enchanted rainforest where he must suss out the land and its strange inhabitants. These fantastic creatures are the acrobats and aerialists who perform the acts of the traditional cirque. Viewers may get lost in the mind-blowing athleticism and artistry and lose sight of the quest that’s at the story’s heart, but the acts are hard to fault. There is a young woman who takes your breath away as she hangs by one foot—one foot!—off a flying trapeze. And two young men suspended by wrist straps glide above the stage in a synchronized display of pre“Icarus here, requesting a flyby.” cision and power. Bodies bend in impossible-looking contortions as other performers balance on canes, crutches and each other. It hurts to look at how those bodies go in ways you know they’re not supposed to. Two big-cast acts, the Georgian dance and the Russian swings, are the most high-energy outings. The dancers’ movements, frenzied but oh-so-precise, recall the struggles of the Georgian people as they resisted numerous invaders over the centuries. The Russian swings are two contraptions like pendulums from which man after man jumps or is hurled onto the opposite swing or up to a platform to be caught upright (sometimes in a handstand) by two other performers. That choreography has to be tight, tight, tight. Two clowns—no cirque is complete without clowns— take the show on a couple of detours, but they are worth the ride. Joanna and Steven are their names, and Steven displays excellent timing and physical comedy as he tries to chase an elusive spotlight all the while singing Jacques Brell’s “Ne me quitte pas (Don’t Leave Me).” Clever, and hilarious. Catch Varekai through April 19 at Stockton Arena, 248 West Fremont Street in Stockton. Head to www.cirquedusoleil.com for times and ticket information and to see a video preview of the show. —Jim Carnes

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For the week of April 16

HEALTHEWORLD T

his year Earth Day lands  on Wednesday, April 22, but  there’s plenty of earth-friendly  stuff to do on both sides of that  particular date. People who’ve  always wanted to do something  eco-friendly but never know exactly what’s possible can dedicate an  entire week to cleaning up creeks,  learning about the environment  and committing to living sustainably with the following five events. The Sacramento Area Creeks  Council will hold its 2015 Creek Clean-Up for Sacramento County  on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m.  to noon. Technically, registration  closed on April 10, but if you head  to www.creekweek.net/volunteer. html, there may be a Sacramento  region still open to volunteers.  If not, there’s an after-party  at Carmichael Park (5750 Grant  Avenue in Carmichael) at noon  with free lunch, information  booths and entertainment from  Roseville’s Blacktop Comedy.  Another opportunity to clean  up something on Saturday, April  18, comes via the California State Parks Foundation (www.calparks. org/help/earth-day). Auburn State  Recreation Area needs cleanup  volunteers to replace tree markers, clean the area below the  spectacular Foresthill Bridge, and  clean trails, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Volunteers should sign up online  before spots run out.

Perhaps the biggest regional  celebration will happen at  the Environmental Council of  Sacramento’s 2015 Sacramento Earth Day party (www.ecosacramento.net/earth-day). Taking place  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Southside  Park (2115 Sixth Street) on Sunday,  April 19, the free celebration features more than 180 organizations  with booths displaying practical  environmental information, live  music performances from Jenn  Rogar, John Gruber and James  Israel, and food from El Papagayo,  Abyssinia and DavePops.  The City of Sacramento will host  its own free Earth Day 2015 Celebration  event at Cesar Chavez Plaza   (910 I Street), from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  on Wednesday, April 22. It’ll also have  environmental education booths,  interactive demos and live entertainment. Head to www.tinyurl.com/ sacearthday for more information. The City of West Sacramento  hosts another free Earth Day   event next week on Saturday,   April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at  West Sacramento City Hall   (1110 West Capitol Avenue). It’ll  offer live music, food, a guided bike  tour, students selling produce,  kids’ activities and workshops on  rain barrels and composting. Find  out more at www.tinyurl.com/ westsacearthday.

—Jonathan Mendick

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Picnic Day

Carmichael Elks Classic Car Show and Swap Meet

Saturday, april 18 This year’s Picnic Day theme is  “Heart of Our Community,” in order  to reflect the “multifaceted community of UC Davis,” according to  its website. That’s pretty vague,  FESTIVAL but we do know  for certain that  Picnic Day’s always a good time,  with 200 events happening all day  throughout UC Davis, including a  marching band battle, fashion show,  parade, dog races, live music and  a “chemistry magic show.” Parking  is free on campus all day. Free, all  day at UC Davis, 1 Shields Avenue in  Davis, http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu.

Saturday, april 18 This family-friendly event begins  with a pancake breakfast with all  the trimmings and a bloody mary  bar. Then attendees can browse  through pre-1975 vehicles and vote  CAR SHOW on their favorites. Capital City  MoPars, The Over-the-Hill Gang,  Model A’s, Sacramento Muscle Cars  and the Italian Hot Rod Association  will be well represented. There’s  also wine, bowling, a barbershop  quartet and a silent auction. Free,  8 a.m. at Carmichael Elks Lodge  #2103, 5631 Cypress Avenue in  Carmichael; www.facebook.com/ carmichaelelksclassiccarshow.

—Jonathan Mendick

Fyah on the Water Saturday, april 18, through Sunday, april 19 If you can’t stand the smell of  marijuana and don’t enjoy the sweet  sounds of reggae, hip-hop and rock,  you are  MUSIC FESTIVAL hereby  ordered to steer clear of this  wonderful two-day event. This  year’s Fyah on the Water festival  will bring together some of the biggest names of both the national,  regional and local circuits including  Kottonmouth Kings, Marlon Asher,  Rappin’ 4-Tay, Arden Park Roots  and Zuhg. $25-$250, 9 a.m. daily  at Camp Pollock, 1501 Northgate  Boulevard; http://reggaeinthehills. com/fyah-on-the-water.

Atomic Angels’ fourth annual Western Swing Party Saturday, april 18 All ages are welcome to this  western-themed event benefiting  WEAVE and featuring a pin-up style  competition and the crowning of  Miss Spring Fling. Vintage Vandals  and B.B. McKay and the Bumps  will perform live.  PARTY Visit vendors Strut  Threads, Wild Kitten Boutique and  Soapery Sweet and check out auctions and raffles, too. $10, 4 p.m.   at Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo,   1320 Del Paso Road; www.face  book.com/TheAtomicAngels.

California Aviation Day WedneSday, april 22 Aviation—thanks to pioneers like  John Joseph Montgomery and  Howard Hughes—has played a  huge role in California’s industry. It  employs more than 1 million people,  consists of almost 60,000 pilots and  246 public-use  PLANES airports, and  generates more than $18 million  annually. Learn about aviation’s  role in California’s economy through  interactive displays and talk with  representatives from more than 20  organizations at this event. Free,   11 a.m. on the north steps of the  State Capitol, 1315 10th Street;.  http://caaviationday.com.

—Trina L. Drotar

—Trina L. Drotar

—Eddie Jorgensen

—Trina L. Drotar BEFORE

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Mi, oh my kuroButa Pork Banh Mi, star GinGer Bahn mi sandwiches are divisive among food   enthusiasts, who demand the purest, most authentic  sandwiches. But what defines authentic? Pork pâté?  Sriracha? Aioli? Pickled jalapenos or fresh? It goes  on. Personally, I’m a fan of the bahn mi crafted at  Mai Pham’s Star Ginger. I’ve heard Pham’s bahn mi  called both authentic and inauthentic, but when they  taste this good, who cares? The slow-roasted Kurobuta pork ($7.87) in particular is exquisite. The pork  is sourced specifically from Black Berkshire pigs  whose meat is finely marbled with fat. When slowly  cooked and served with jalapenos, carrots, daikon,  cilantro and Sririacha aioli, it makes for a fantastic  meal. 3101 Folsom Boulevard, www.starginger.com.

—Garrett Mccord

Wild and refined PaPer Plane, Block Butcher Bar

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Borderline to mezzanine

198 spaces nights and weekends. Plus, 36 sheltered bike parking spots and a bicycle repair station. “Parking has been our big issue, and with more parking, we think we’ll have an easier time getting people in,” Cultrera said, alluding to future competition with Whole Foods opening in Midtown. The $9.5 million project will expand the grocery store from 16,000 square feet to 26,000 square feet, By Janelle Bitker JanelleB@newsreview.coM plus a 16,000 square-foot mezzanine. Artist renderings depict a modern, clean look with lots of natural wood, Why Tex-Mex? Avalos, a Nearly Texas: Damian Avalos plus an emphasis on eco-friendly Sacramento native, moved to Texas opened up his Tex-Mex style North materials. The upstairs will house with his Texas-born wife for a few Border Taco truck in late 2013 with offices and classrooms as well as years, where he attended culinary his mom, Maria, and they’ve been indoor- and balcony-dining areas. The school and got his start in professional downstairs grocery store will feature a staple outside local breweries ever kitchens. since. Now, Avalos is taking North expanded produce, meat and deli “That’s just our style,” Avalos Border a step further with the South departments, with a bigger emphasis said. “It’s what we know.” Sacramento taco stand (3721 47th on prepared foods. Avenue), which should be open any Ah yes, the food! Cultrera said Co-op update: The next iteration of day now. At press time, Avalos was there will be a big self-service hot and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op waiting for one last inspection. cold food bar, and a larger grab-andis still on track to open right behind The brick-and-mortar carries the go section along with separate bars for Temple Coffee at 29th and R streets same menu as the truck, with a few burritos, sandwiches, pizza, ice cream in April 2016. General manager Paul more specials. No alcohol yet, but and coffee. And for the first time, Cultrera shared details, floor plans Avalos said he plans to eventually the co-op will do much of its baking and renderings at a luncheon last build an outdoor beer bar serving and desserts in-house. Probably not a week, emphasizing the four-level regional brews. Expansion plans bread-baking sort of bakery, Cultrera continue later this month with a second parking garage and lot with 118 spaces said, but yes to cookies, pies and available weekdays and an additional North Border Taco truck on April 24. pastries galore. Ω B E F O R E   |   N E W S   |   F E A T U R E S T O R Y   |    A R T S & C U L T U R E

With so much fine whiskey to choose from, it seems  odd to order a cocktail at Block Butcher Bar. But one  night, I tried a drink called the Paper Plane ($10). It  starts with Bulleit Bourbon, a high  rye whiskey with flavors of  dry cereal and hay—  extremely smooth and  palatable to even brown  brew avoiders. It’s  topped off with Amaro  Montenegro, a terribly  herbaceous liqueur that  on its own is a bit much but  is lovely when mixed. Aperol  and lemon add a bit of fruit to  finish. This concoction of both wild and refined flavors  comes off surprisingly sweet and matches well with  Block’s menu of pickled veggies and cured meats.   1050 20th Street, www.blockbutcherbar.com.

—Garrett Mccord

A bulb for inspiration BaBy Beets If beets make you think of slimy red circles bleeding  on your plate, please reconsider. Baby beets are  abundant in the spring and are a completely different  experience. These young root veggies come in a bevy of colors,  from rich golden yellow to  pink-and-white striped.  Choose firm bulbs with  sprightly greens, then  cut off the greens and  sauté them just to wilt.  Roast the beets with a  coating of oil—no peeling  necessary—and cut them into  wedges. Toss with the cooked greens,  toasted walnuts, spring onions and goat cheese with a  light champagne vinaigrette.

—ann Martin rolke |

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HAPPY HOUR

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Blaze Pizza

JonathanM@newsreview.coM

It costs just $7.75 for a pizza with unlimited toppings (one-topping pizzas are a little less). To get a feel of the quality of the toppings, we started with a spicy marinara sauce, and then 2137 golden center lane, suite 20; added a ton of toppings: pepperoni, cherry toma(916) 631-1355; www.blazepizza.com toes, chopped garlic, roasted garlic, basil, jalapeDinner for one: $8.50 - $15 ños, mushrooms, sautéed onions, pepperoncini, Good for: getting a pizza in a hurry goat cheese, ricotta and ovalini mozzarella. Notable dishes: build-your-own pizza and salad The dough on the pizza—which was pressed into shape with some sort of steel contraption, not hand-tossed—was a bit spongy. It lacked flavor and, despite being freshly cooked, was somehow absent both fluff and crunch. Adding Remember the early 2000s, when Chipotle a ton of toppings (from the three-dozen or so seemed like one of the cool new places to eat available choices) easily masked that plainness, in Sacramento? Fast-casual Mexican food felt though. The goat cheese, garlic and cherry like a revolutionary concept to Sacramento, a lot tomatoes were probably our favorite toppings of young people ate there and it appeared fresh on this pizza, while the rest seemed rather and hip with its modern stainless steel counters, run-of-the-mill. concrete walls and open air ducts. That’s the On our way out, we grabbed all four side same kind of vibe one gets when walking into salads, which were a great deal at $3.99 each, Blaze Pizza in Gold River (there are also and made for a good lunch the next franchises in Roseville and Davis), day: tomato, basil and ovalini; beet which opened in December. and goat cheese; roasted veggie Blaze Pizza is one of the The pizza and Gorgonzola; and a classic new fast-casual, ChipotleCaesar salad. The best two crust lacks the esque build-it-yourself were the tomato-basil-ovalini pizza chains in town (in same passion the salad (mozzarella balls, addition to Midtown’s cherry tomatoes, basil, corporate office Pieology, and Elk Grove arugula) and the beet-andand Roseville’s Blast 825) seems to have with goat-cheese one (beets, goat where an often unenthusimarketing itself on cheese, almonds, arugula). astic teenager builds custom The other two lacked flavor, social media. pie after custom pie, fires it but had crunchier textures. in a brick oven, and hands it We tried a few other custom down the line to the register where pizzas (one can also order “signature” customers pay and pick up finished pizzas with names like Meat Eater, Veg Out pizzas—all in a matter of seconds. Rick and and White Top), and washed them down with a Elise Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels launched few Pilsners—there’s a limited rotating selection the Pasadena-based Blaze chain in 2012; it of bottled beer, and a few house wines. But the subsequently picked up big-name investors like only thing that really stood out to us after eating LeBron James, Maria Shriver and Boston Red them was that flavorless, textureless dough Sox co-owner Tom Werner; and it’s rapidly again. The pizza crust lacks the same passion the expanding (it plans to open 60 to 70 more corporate office seems to have with marketing locations this year, to add to the more than 50 itself on social media. open now). It already has tens of thousands of Masullo, Hot Italian and Il Pizzaiolo all followers on social media sites. have a much more obvious enthusiasm for Despite the speed with which pizzas are pumping out quality pizzas which Blaze cooked at Blaze, ordering took a while during appears to lack with its mind-numbingly our first visit to the Gold River location on a repetitive production line. While the fastrecent weeknight. Most of the time was spent casual pizza concept of Blaze is a great idea standing in line behind about a dozen people: for picky eaters with very specific topping kids with soccer uniforms, young couples wearpreferences and families with several growing ing tank tops, a guy on a cellphone picking up kids to feed (and without much spare time), a to-go order for his family. The fact that it was there are much better options for quality busy and also had a lot of social-media hype Neopolitan pizzas in the Sacramento area. Ω seemed like a good sign.

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Music, booze and a chili battle Like a good bowl of chili, the fourth annual Beer and Chili Fundraiser event  has a nice blend of ingredients that all play together well to create an  even better final product: live music, beer tasting and a cook-off featuring entries from highprofile Sacramento restaurants. Here’s  the breakdown: Musical performances  will come from the Old Screen Door,  California Stars and URD-OM; brews  will be poured by Track 7 Brewing  Co., Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Two  Rivers Cider (plus a few out-ofstate breweries); and people from  River City Brewing Co., Hook & Ladder  Manufacturing Co. and Tank House BBQ  & Bar will battle each other in the chili  cook-off. The whole event’s sponsored by  Dad’s Kitchen and the Grid Agency, and  it benefits the Sacramento Artists Council, which strives to keep art in  public schools. It happens Saturday, April 18, at Roosevelt Park, 1615 Ninth  Street. Find out more at http://sacramentobeerandchilifestival.com.

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Drought-tolerant eating by Shoka for the animals. The Pacific Institute  found that 47 percent of California’s  water footprint water goes toward  producing dairy and meat, which  Kuhn said is the “leading cause of deforestation, water consumption  and pollution.” Cowspiracy claims  it takes 2,500 gallons of water to  produce 1 pound of beef. Solutions? Meatless Mondays or weekday vegetarianism for all and checking out  the film at www.cowspiracy.com is  a start.

The drought in California has been  making national headlines the past  few weeks, and accompanying it,  statistics on how much water almond  growers use. But, uh, where’s the beef data? Keegan Kuhn, director of  the documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, said that while  almond production uses 10 percent  of California’s water for 82 percent of the world’s supply of almonds, animal agriculture uses 15 percent of the  state’s water just to grow the feed

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*Gluten Free is available in Medium size only, $3.00 extra. Not valid with coupon discounts or any other offers. Not all toppings and sauces are gluten free. Pizza Guys pizza that is prepared with Gluten Free Crust is made in a common kitchen with a risk of gluten exposure. Therefore, Pizza Guys does not recommend this pizza for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise good judgment in consuming this pizza. TUSCANY THIN CRUST AVAILABLE FOR ALL SIZE.

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT Paul Cruz is executive director of the Mexican-American Addiction Program in Sacramento. PHOTO BY LOUISE MITCHELL

Considering Culture AVOID ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ADDICTION

A

ddiction knows no cultural boundaries and no prejudice, according to recovery expert Paul Cruz. It is a disease that can afflict a wide variety of people, people who belong to every race, ethnicity, religion, age group and socioeconomic level. Yet, society’s preconceptions about the prevalence of addiction in certain groups aren’t always accurate. Cruz says groups that are often inappropriately believed to be more prone to substance abuse include African-Americans, low-income individuals and young adults. But in reality, people in treatment for addiction can be “anyone, in any profession, from any cultural or economic background,” he says. “I can’t tell you the number of soccer moms I’ve seen having to go

to methadone clinics for an opiate addiction they got after using a perfectly legal prescription,” Cruz says. While he believes strongly that a person’s cultural identification cannot act as a predictor for drug or alcohol abuse, Cruz, as executive director of the Mexican-American Addiction Program in Sacramento,

“Regardless of your background, let’s be honest about the fact that drug abuse is affecting us and let’s work to effect change.” Paul Cruz

says it is a key component to the treatment process. Culturally responsive treatment isn’t just limited to identifying a person’s ethnicity or religion. It’s crucial to understand individuals on all levels and to relate to them, Cruz says. In his experience, children are far more likely to become addicted to a substance when parents are users. But it’s a fallacy that this only exists among certain socioeconomic groups, he says. “You always hear people say, ‘People with jobs or kids can’t do drugs,’ but it’s just simply not true,” Cruz says. When it comes to their clients at MAAP, Cruz says one of the most impactful ways his counselors are able to help is by keeping an open mind and being honest with themselves about their own ability

CCAPP’s

to connect with a given client. Counselors have to be prepared to assess the needs of anyone who comes through their door, even if it means offering referrals to another counselor. “It’s key that you get a sense of how culturally entrenched a person is before you can treat addiction,” Cruz says. Cruz strongly believes that no matter where a person is coming from, his program can help anyone navigate a successful recovery. “Regardless of your background, let’s be honest about the fact that drug abuse is affecting us and let’s work to effect change,” he says. BY LEXI BRISTER

Sacramento News & Review and California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) have partnered to tell sponsored stories that share the joys of recovery, break down the barriers of stigma, and employ individuals, families and the community to form a united front against the disease of addiction. To find more about recovery and resources offered in the community, visit www. newsreview.com/sacramento/ ccapp.

Mexican American Addiction Program

Directory Some of Sacramento’s Drug & Alcohol Programs, Organizations, Recovery Centers, and Transitional Homes: MAAP Inc.

4241 Florin Road Sacramento, CA 95823 (916) 394-3489 www.maap.org

NCADD Sacramento

Clean & Sober Transitional Living Inc 8938 Madison Ave Fair Oaks, CA 95628 (916) 961-8934 www.clean-and-sober-living.com

1446 Ethan Way Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 922-5121 www.ncaddsac.org

Priorities Clinic

Strategies for Change

Gateway House

4343 Williamsbourgh Dr. Sacramento, CA 95823 (916) 395-3552 4441 Auburn Blvd Ste E Sacramento, CA 95841 (916) 473-5764 www.strategies4change.org

River City Recovery Center Inc. 500 22nd Street Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 442-3979 www.rivercityrecovery.org

3647 40th Street Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 397-2434 4049 Miller Way Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 451-9312 www.gffw.org

Sacramento Recovery House

Med Aid

3100 Stockton Blvd Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 736-3188

Harm Reduction Services 2800 Stockton Blvd Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 456-4849 www.harmreduction.org

Sacramento County Dept of Health & Human Services Alcohol & Drug Services 3321 Power Inn Rd Ste120 Sacramento, CA 95826 (916) 874-9754 www.DHHS.saccounty.net

1914 22nd Street Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 455-6258 www.sacramentorecoveryhouse.org

For more information about these companies please look on our website: www.newsreview.com/sacramento/CCAPP.us 24

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Mission:

Treatment:

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Improve the health and well being of the community through • Adult and Youth Substance services aimed at alleviating Use Disorder Treatment the effects of substance abuse, • Co-Occurring Mental lack of health services and other Health Treatment social needs that impact the • Drug Diversion PC-1000 community. • Family & Individual Counseling • Peer Mentoring for Developmentally Delayed

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3 Locations Florin Road South Sacramento Madison Ave. North Highland Industrial Drive Galt

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All heart, no kitsch

Pardon your freedom it’s not oveR Michaelangelo Signorile has a point: Being able to get married doesn’t mean LGBTQ people are out of the woods. One need only look to the recent introduction of a “kill the gays� initiative in California—not to Book mention the uptick in so-called “religious freedom� legislation—to see that de facto equality lags de jure equality quite a bit. In It’s Not Over: Getting Beyond Tolerance, Defeating Homophobia, and Winning True Equality (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27), Signorile dissects the “religious liberty� argument against equality and demonstrates how the right—particularly the Republican right—could easily use the same arguments to roll back civil-rights gains for other marginalized groups. —Kel Munger

Find your sonic boo ¯ conceRts wego Having trouble finding a friend who likes world music? Always going to death metal shows by your lonesome? There’s an app for that thanks to the folks at App WÍgo Concerts. It works like this: Connect to the service via Facebook, which will then comb through your iTunes library and link you to other users with similar tastes. Whether you’re looking to meet a future partner or wish to find a lifelong, platonic friend who also likes ambient trance music concerts, the options are limitless. www.wegoconcerts.com. —Eddie Jorgensen

Spin city RecoRd stoRe day Think of it as Black Friday for vinyl-philes. Since 2007, music junkies have marked the calendar for April’s annual Record Store Day shopping celebration. The event, featuring participation from thousands of indie brickand-mortar retailers around the globe, highlights limited-run vinyl selections. This year’s exclusive releases offer titles from a disparate roster of artists that includes Banks, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Gwar, Joan Jett, Aussie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett and the Sacramento-centric Chk Chk Chk. There’s dozens more, too. In other words, you’re going to want to make sure the ol’ credit card’s got plenty of spending power on it for this one. For a full list of specials and participating Sacramento stores, visit www.recordstoreday.com. —Rachel Leibrock

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In-store only. No double discounts. Some exclusions apply. Expires 4/30/15

Richie LawRence and Katie thomas On his latest album, Sacramento singer-songwriter Richie Lawrence takes an eclectic approach with a new take on old favorite sounds. The 10 tracks on Rue Sanxay include a host of guest musicians as well as Matt Baxter on guitars Music and mandolin, Scott Prawalsky on bass, Bart van der Zeeuw on drums and Katie Thomas on vocals. It’s Thomas’ contributions in particular that elevate many of the songs to new, beautiful heights. Lawrence’s longtime musical collaborator and wife takes lead vocals on three songs, “Play On,� “Oxford Town,� and the melancholic “When I Find My Love Some Day.� Here, Thomas’ warm vocals float atop a feathery bed of gentle, Western frontier-appropriate strings as she reflects on love. It’s a cowgirl’s lament, but without the kitsch too often present in modern Americana. On “Over and Over� Thomas also joins Lawrence for a slow number that feels as though it were born from a bottle of good cognac and gently steeped in cigarette smoke. The title track, an instrumental written in Paris, carries itself like a French waltz, dipping and curtsying with bright, vibrant notes. Rue Sanxay makes for a varied, often unexpected assortment of sounds. The beauty is that even as songs expertly traverse genres, they’re threaded together by a sense of history and heart. In short, it never sounds as if the musicians are just playing dress-up. Rue Sanxay’s out now and this Saturday, Lawrence and Thomas will perform songs from the album at Luna’s Cafe. Gene Williams, the couple’s pal from Los Angeles, will also be on the bill. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, $8. Luna’s Cafe, 1414 16th Street; www.richielawrence.com.

F E AT U R E

—Rachel Leibrock

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PPLLAANN TT SS

Administrative Professional’s Day is April 22.

Say “thank youâ€? with a living arrangement! Ë¨Ë ËĽĘłË¨ËĄËĄĘłËŁËŚËĽË¨

Ë Ë§Ë˘Ë˘ Ă‹Ĺ¸É s ÉšsĘ° Ǣ OÇ‹ ĹŽsĹ˜ǟŸ É É É ĘłsɎŸǟĂžOƟĜ Ĺ˜ǟǣĜǟ_ĘłOŸĹŽ

The Woodland Opera House Theatre Company presents‌.

April 17-May 10 Tickets;

Adults - $25 Seniors - 23 Children 17 and under $12

Balcony Tickets:

Adults - $15 Children 17 and under - $7

340 2nd Street, Woodland 530-666-9617 WoodlandOpera@gmail.com WoodlandOperaHouse.org

One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time! This show is rated PG

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Friday, May 1st

Vendor Exhibition Opens at 4pm • Show Starts at 7pm

$

35

VIP Admission

Receive

20

$

FREE PLAY!

$

10

General Admission

Receive FREE PLAY!

5

$

Tickets available in the Gift Shop or ColusaCasino.com Must be 21+ to attend. Visit the Colusa Rewards Club for full details.

3770 Hwy 45 • Colusa, CA • 530.458.8844 • ColusaCasino.com

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Babs in Toyland 5

Best of Enemies

Buyer & Cellar It’s as if David Sedaris had gone to work for Barbra Streisand instead of Macy’s: A struggling actor takes a preposterous job, not knowing by Jim Carnes what he’s getting into, or what effect it will have upon him. And a one-man show ensues. While Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries, about his department-store elf gig, has a nub of truth to it, Jonathan Tolins’ somewhat similar Buyer & Cellar is an almost complete fiction about a guy hired to staff the mall in the basement of Barbra Streisand’s Malibu home. Both are hilarious pieces of absurdist comedy.

though, doesn’t want to explore that heavy stuff. He wants to entertain, not elucidate. And to that end, director David Pierini, who knows humor and timing better than most, keeps finding the funny and bringing it out. Ω

4

New season, new artistic director

PhoTo CourTeSy oF B STreeT TheaTre

Buyer and Cellar; 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. Sunday; $23-$35. B2 Space at B Street Theatre, 2727 B Street; (916) 443-5300, www.bstreet theatre.org. Through May 9.

Capital Stage announced its 11th season this week, and a new artistic director, Michael Stevenson, who has worked as actor and director locally (at Capital Stage and elsewhere). The slogan for the new season is “Brave New World.” Current producing artistic director Jonathan Williams, who will pass the baton to Stevenson over the next few months, said the focus is “characters struggling … in the face of radical change.” The following is this season’s lineup: Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play, by Anne Washburn (September 2 through October 4): After the grid fails in the not-so-distant future, survivors retell an episode of The Simpsons as a new-age epic. The story morphs as it is retold further into the future. A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen (October 21 through November 22): Former Cap Stage artistic director Stephanie Gularte adapts this 1879 landmark. In 2013, Gularte did a well-regarded update of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. The Behavior of Broadus, by the Burglars of Hamm (December and January dates still to be announced): Cap Stage mounts a musical about an early 20th-century psychology professor who made big money designing earworm ad campaigns. Love and Information, by Caryl Churchill (January 27 through February 28): In this 2012 play, the venerated British playwright uses a kaleidoscope of short scenes to depict our multifaceted, data-drenched age. Blackberry Winter, by Steve Yockey (March 16 through April 17): This new generational drama follows a daughter as her mother slides into dementia. Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar (May 4 through June 5): A posh dinner conversation leads into an intense discussion of politics, Islamophobia and more in the 2013 Pulitzerwinning script. The Totalitarians, by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (June 22 through July 24): A dark political farce about insanity on the campaign trail, by a popular San Francisco playwright.

4

The Clearing

This play humanizes the conflicts of 17th-century Ireland when Cromwell’s English army sets out to clear the Irish from their homeland. The personal price paid by those trapped in the conflicts is the focus of Ovation Stage’s production, which tells the story of a young married couple with roots and allegiances in two different countries. F, Sa 8pm; Su 7pm. Through 4/26. $17-$20. Ovation Stage at the Wilkerson Theatre in the R25 Arts Complex, 1723 25th St.; (916) 606-5050; www.ovationstage.com. P.R.

3

Oblivion

The tension in this comedy/drama lies between a “tolerant,” secular, 40-something couple and their teenage daughter, who secretly goes on a church retreat (to Mom’s great distress). But the

story’s core is actually the parents. Their marriage, and respective careers, have stalled out; they’re almost rudderless, especially when facing an inquisitive girl exploring something they’ve always avoided discussing—religion. Along the way, the show transitions from comedy into something resembling drama (with mixed results). The show’s reach exceeds its grasp but contains several telling and effective scenes. Tu 6:30pm; W 2pm & 6pm;

1 FouL

2 FaIr

3

Th, F 8pm; Sa 5pm & 9pm. Through 4/19. $23-$35. B Street Theatre,

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

GooD

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5

The Whipping Man

Buddy Butler directs this powerful play that takes place at the close of the Civil War in Richmond, Va., during Passover. Playwright Matthew Lopez’s award-winning story chronicles a young wounded Confederate soldier’s return home, where he finds his home destroyed and two of his newly freed slaves trying to cobble a life together amidst the ruins of the house. The historic time frame is pertinent: the war is ending, an assassination takes place and Passover is being observed in the relatively large Jewish population who lived in Richmond. The performances are memorable, as is the script, the story and the staging. W,

WeLL-DoNe

5 SuBLIMe–DoN’T MISS

Th 6:30pm; F 8pm; Sat 2 pm & 8pm; Su 2pm. Through 5/3. $34-$38. Pol-

lock Stage at Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street; (916) 443-6722; www.sactheatre.org. P.R.

Short reviews by Jim Carnes, Jeff hudson and Patti roberts.

PhoTo CourTeSy oF harrIS CeNTer For The arTS

In the B Street Theatre production of Buyer & Cellar, Nick Cearley portrays actor Alex More, who has lost his job as Disneyland’s Mayor of Toontown, and reluctantly accepts a job in Malibu Barbie’s Dream House. Before he begins to tell his story, Alex cautions that none of what will transpire actually happened. “You know that, right?” And he’s not going to impersonate Streisand, either. Enough people have done Streisand—“some of them even women”—and so he’ll just deliver her made-up words and the audience can supply the interpretation. During the course of the story, Streisand comes downstairs to Alex’s domain, where they chat, haggle over the price of a doll she wants to buy (although it’s already hers) and begin to bond—or so he thinks. In the encounters between the star and her employee, Tolins broaches several important topics: the isolation of celebrity, the narcissism that accompanies stardom, the mark of an unhappy childhood on the adult and even the attraction between gay men and divas. Tolins,

New York City’s Nick Cearley brings the smiles to Sactown in this production.

This play by Mark St. Germain, based on the bestselling nonfiction book by Osha Gray Davidson, tells an unlikely—but true—story about the relationship between an African-American civil rights activist and a Grand Cyclops of the KKK during the desegregation of Durham, N.C., schools in 1971. James Wheatley directs the play as a series of short scenes. There’s only one set, and rearranging chairs and turning a desk into a table are the only changes, so it all moves relatively smoothly. Th-Sa 8pm; Su 2 pm. Through 5/9. $8-$15. Celebration Arts Theatre, 4469 D St.; (916) 455-2787, www.celebrationarts.net. J.C.

“I think I’m falling for you, Franz.”

A ballet rom-com The Placer Theatre Ballet has been practicing its choreography and honing its stage skills to perform the lighthearted Coppélia, aided by the wonderful music of composer Léo Delibes. Unlike other cities that do not spend time nor money on their set pieces or wardrobe, this crew will be adorned in some of the most lavish costumes seen in quite some time. Additionally, the young cast will showcase some of the greatest talents in the Sacramento Valley and beyond. The event will help the nonprofit ballet company, which opens its doors for so many talented young folks who would otherwise remain unknown. If you’re into theatrical dance or would someday like to get your child involved, there has never been a better opportunity to see his or her reaction to a live production. Perhaps a rising star is living right under your own roof. Coppélia; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18; noon and 5 p.m. Sunday, April 19; $16-$24. Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom; www.placertheatreballet.org.

—Jeff Hudson Season ticket plans cost between $120 and $195 and can be purchased at www.capstage.org or by calling (916) 995-5464. Capital Stage is located at 2215 J Street.

—Eddie Jorgensen

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True defective True Story

EntEr Sn&r’S

College Essay Contest! thE prizES: First place will receive a $2,015 award, plus $750 for second place and $500 for third place.

The lines that used to separate comedic and dramatic actors have become less and less substantial in recent years. Whereas noncomedic turns from by Daniel Barnes superstars like Bill Murray or Robin Williams were considered bold departures in decades past, actors like James Franco and Jonah Hill can slip between genres pretty easily these days. Franco and Hill starred together in This is the End, but in director and co-writer Rupert Goold’s True Story, they’re trading concepts of moral culpability instead of bong rips and masturbation jokes. Their credibility as dramatic actors is never a question; the credibility of the bland true-life drama they inhabit is entirely another matter.

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thE rulES: High-school seniors graduating in 2015 are eligible. Only one entry allowed per student, and you must live in the Sacramento region to apply. No SN&R employees or their relatives may enter. thE dEtailS: Essays can be no longer than 650 words. Email essays as a Word document or PDF attachment to collegeessay@newsreview.com, with the subject line “College Essay Contest.” Deadline is Friday, May 1, at 5 p.m.

FirSt placE prizE SponSorEd by

“Let’s face it, a bong rip would probably make this more interesting.”

third placE SponSorEd by

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

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Hill plays New York Times journalist Mike Finkel (the film is based on Finkel’s memoir), an accomplished but utterly arrogant writer unafraid to bribe sources and massage the truth in order to form a better story. Franco is Christian Longo, an accused murderer hiding out abroad under the identity of New York Times journalist Mike Finkel. At the same time that the fake Finkel gets captured and returned to the United States for trial, the real Finkel gets publicly disgraced for factual indiscretions in his latest article, becomes a pariah in his own industry and retreats to Montana. When Mike learns of his “doppelganger,” he pays him a visit in his Washington prison. The two seasoned liars hit it off, and Mike comes to see Christian as his ticket back into the game, even if it means protecting a potential murderer. Franco possesses a strange sort of versatility—he’s a mainstream star, an indie star, an outsider artist and an academic all at the same time. But he’s not a chameleon—give him that one note to play, and he can play it beautifully, but he’s not right for this sort of slippery, Primal Fear-style master manipulator. We’re supposed to believe that Christian subtly hoodwinks Mike into forming his legal defense, and while Christian describes himself as “decent and regular 92.88 percent of the time,” there’s just no

connection between the performance that Franco gives and the guy described as murdering his wife and children in a fit of economic panic, or the guy who sends Mike a legal pad filled with creepy, Babadook-style pencil drawings. It doesn’t help that the stakes are all screwy, and as was the case with Philomena, it’s never clear why the story of the disgraced writer reclaiming his reputation is placed front and center, while life and death matters get pushed to the sidelines. Even Truman Capote wasn’t that egotistical. The filmmaking is drab and predictable—Goold holds the film at a resting pulse throughout, seemingly encouraging his often outsized lead actors to underplay their parts, and racking up easy points while neglecting to ask some of the more troubling questions at hand. True Story is a pedestrian effort on many fronts, with very little dramatic urgency—it’s not so much a game of cat-and-mouse as it is as game of mouse-and-mouse, minus the game. Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones plays Mike’s pianist wife, Jill, and sad to say she’s completely wasted. I fear that wasting Jones will become a habit with Hollywood; as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything, she became a supporting player in her own life story, and here she is given one of the most superfluous “concerned wife” parts imaginable. Jones is far too interesting and intelligent for this drippy token role, and yet she delivers the film’s strongest performance. Even at a relatively lean 100 minutes, True Story drags—Mike pitches Christian’s story to HarperCollins for a huge advance (predictably, the writing process is portrayed as a long, painstaking process of pinning research to the wall, followed by a few seconds of furious writing, and voila—book done!), then goes into crisis mode when Christian enters a “confusing” plea in court, while Jill grows increasingly unsettled by both men.

Felicity Jones is far too interesting and intelligent for this drippy token role, and yet she delivers the film’s strongest performance. The ending is haunted and uncertain, but we have little stake in it, because we never feel that merge of identities; for all of its dreary, off-white contemplation, True Story never gets out of its own head. Ω


by daniel barnes & JiM lane

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Broken Horses

2508 LAND PARK DRIVE LAND PARK & BROADWAY FREE PARKING ADJACENT TO THEATRE

To the extent that it’s possible, I tend to avoid extra-textual awareness of the films that I might review. I shun gossip and spoilers, mistrust all hype and never read the media notes that studios spoon-feed to lazy critics. Director and co-writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s inscrutable biblical noir western Broken Horses presents a rare exception— there’s no way to fathom what’s happening here without a Ken Burns documentary worth of explanatory anecdotes, much less an IMDB page. Broken Horses is the first Englishlanguage production for Chopra’s India-based production company, which at least partially explains why good actors like Thomas Jane and Vincent D’Onofrio behave as though English was their second language. It’s hard to tell if the film is an unfunny joke or an earnest failure, but ham-fisted symbolism and sloppy plotting rule regardless; to see this sort of genre smashup done right, check out last year’s Young Ones. D.B.

3

“SOUL-SEARCHING WORK.” - Peter Debruge, VARIETY

TRUE STORY STARTS FRI., 4/17

FRI-TUES: 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40PM

“TRIUMPHANT AND HOPEFUL.” - Jan Wahl, KCBS RADIO

WOMAN IN

GOLD WED/THUR: 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:20, 9:40PM FRI-TUES: 12:00, 2:25, 4:45, 7:10, 9:30PM NO THUR 7:20PM • NO TUES 7:10PM

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Effie Gray

Freetown

5

Furious 7

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Amy S. Weber wrote and directed this earnest but self-righteous look at high-school bullying, a sluggish life lesson that keeps tripping over its own good intentions. On the same day that her high school gets celebrated as one of the best in the nation, tormented teenager Jessica swallows a bottle of pills, ending up in the hospital on life support while her fellow students struggle to make sense of the suicide attempt. Meanwhile, a documentary crew hired to profile the school is given free rein to roam the halls playing gotcha journalism with troubled minors for some reason, and they discover that Jessica had a tormentor (Hunter King, a potential force of nature) with a complicated personal life of her own. A Girl Like Her goes

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It Follows

The Longest Ride

Merchants of Doubt

Director Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.) delivers this rote but stirring documentary about the fake experts and pseudoscientists that are employed by corporations to spread doubt in the media about scientific facts. It was a devious practice originally perfected by the tobacco industry, and it’s being taken to new, possibly apocalyptic levels by well-compensated global warming “skeptics.” There are a lot of fascinating sto-

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F E AT U R E

A.O. Scott, NY TIMES

MERCHANTS OF DOUBT ENDS THUR., 4/16

WED/THUR: 12:25, 2:35, 4:45, 7:10, 9:30PM

JURASSIC PARK 5/4 • INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 6/1 TOP GUN 7/6 • BLADE RUNNER: DIRECTOR’S CUT 8/3

GO TO FACEBOOK.COM/SACNEWSREVIEW

Directed by George Tillman Jr. and written by Craig Bolotin (based on yet another romantic wallow by Nicholas Sparks), this slick weeper tells two stories: the courtship and marriage of two Jews (Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin) during and after World War II, and a present-day romance between an art student (Britt Robertson) and a rodeo bull-rider (Scott Eastwood), with Alan Alda (as Huston’s character grown old) to link the two. The movie is glossy and efficient—Sparks didn’t become a multimillionaire without knowing how to push our buttons, or how to write novels that can easily be filmed—but it suffers from the fact that one of its stories is far more interesting than the other. Robertson and Eastwood are appealing and photogenic, but their romance is callow and trivial compared to Huston and Chaplin’s. J.L.

A Girl Like Her

BEFORE

“INFORMATIVE AND INFURIATING.” -

Danny Collins

After a drifting suburban Detroit teen sleeps with her new boyfriend, she learns that he has “passed on” to her a malevolent presence, one that will never stop its slow but deadly pursuit. In just his second feature, writer-director David Cameron Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover) produces one of the best horror films of the millennium. The story touches on themes of venereal disease, rape, contagion fears, PTSD and more, while combining cinematic influences from zombies, ghosts, slashers, J-horror, conspiracy thrillers, exorcisms, Robert Altman, teen sex comedies, apocalypses, John Carpenter, chase films and the first five minutes of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening into something deeply unsettling and nightmarishly lucid. Imagine if Texas Chainsaw Massacre-era Tobe Hooper directed a Richard Linklater rewrite of Under the Skin. A few clunky special effects and easy jump scares aside, It Follows is intelligent and terrifying, an instant genre classic. D.B.

Speed demon Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew (Dwayne Johnson, the late Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, et al.) are being hunted by the brother of a vanquished villain from Fast & Furious 6 (Jason Statham); they join with a shadowy government operative (Kurt Russell) to turn the tables on their pursuer. The preposterous franchise reaches an apotheosis of sorts with a delirious array of death-andphysics-defying stunts, as exciting and enjoyable as they are unbelievable and physically impossible. (On a more subdued note, similar CGI wizardry completes the performance of Walker, who died during production.) Chris Morgan’s script is pretty much beside the point, but it provides director James Wan with an efficient framework, and outlandish as it all is, the movie delivers the goods. J.L.

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WED/THUR: 12:15, 2:40, 5:00, 7:30, 9:45PM FRI-TUES: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45PM NO TUES 9:45PM

FOR ADVANCE TICKETS PLEASE VISIT FANDANGO.COM

for an ill-conceived blend of found footage and faux documentary that never works, while the script is rarely subtle and often shameless. D.B.

Amid the chaos of the First Liberian Civil War (1989-1996), a group of African Mormon missionaries flees the violence in Monrovia, the capital, for the presumed safety of Freetown in neighboring Sierra Leone, crammed into a rattletrap car with a worried but good-hearted driver. Written by Melissa Leilani Larson and director Garrett Batty, the movie has laudable intentions on its side (not least a determination to counteract the lily-white image of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), but it’s limp, leaden, redundant and too-clearly hampered by a limited budget. The inexperienced cast is earnest but wooden, easily upstaged by the stark beauty of the Ghanaian countryside where the movie was filmed. J.L.

3

WHILE WE’RE Young

LIKE

An aging pop superstar (Al Pacino) finally receives a letter written to him by John Lennon 40 years ago, when he was just starting out; the letter plunges him into soul searching, and the first thing he decides to do is look up the biological son he’s never met (Bobby Cannavale). Based “a little bit” (but really, hardly at all) on a true story, writer-director Dan Fogelman’s movie bulges with talent; besides Pacino and Cannavale, there are Christopher Plummer as Pacino’s avuncular manager, Jennifer Garner as Cannavale’s wistful wife, and Annette Bening as the bemused manager of a modest New Jersey hotel where Pacino checks in. Pacino sinks his gleaming teeth into his role with a relish that’s infectious and charming, and the charm spreads and coats the whole movie like butter over hot pancakes. J.L.

Effie Gray was delayed by lawsuits since 2012, but its timely release makes it the second big-screen portrayal of 19th-century Scottish art critic John Ruskin in the last couple months. The broodingly handsome Ruskin, played by Greg Wise in director Richard Laxton’s thoughtful but inert period drama Effie Gray, isn’t a lisping buffoon like the one played by Joshua McGuire in Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner. He’s far more loathsome—a cold, cruel, emotionless, impotent mama’s boy, Ruskin weds his teenage protégé Effie (Dakota Fanning) and declines to consummate the marriage, interring her instead with his bizarre family and practically daring her not to stray. Emma Thompson wrote the contentious script, and gave herself a juicy, too-small part as the protective Lady Eastlake, but Laxton does nothing with it, and Fanning is not strong enough to carry the film. D.B.

2

TOWER CLASSICS SERIES

“My hit song was this big.”

“DELICIOUS SATIRE.” - Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES

STORY

US.

OR ELSE.

ries, including a detailed exploration of the nationally perpetrated hoax that mandated the use of cancer-causing flame-retardant material in couches, but the viewing experience is probably not much different than the experience of reading the 2010 book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway. It would have been more interesting to get a psychological exploration into the mind of one of these hired liars, rather than this well-made outrage enhancement device about media manipulation and corporate greed, but Merchants of Doubt remains compelling enough to recommend. D.B.

3

Monkey Kingdom

4

Woman in Gold

Another Earth Day, another Disneynature documentary, this one following a group of Sri Lankan macaques as they deal with a strict social system and defend their territory from interlopers. The macaques, a Shemp-haired species of monkey, are decidedly less adorable than the stars of last year’s Bears, and Monkey Kingdom narrator Tina Fey is a weak substitute for Bears narrator John C. Reilly. Much like Bears, the film focuses in on a struggling single mother dealing with dangers from both outside and inside her troop, but Monkey Kingdom tries too hard to manufacture a storyline. It’s never clear why we’re supposed to root for one group of monkeys to defeat another group of monkeys, except that some of the “bad” monkeys have facial scars, and facial scars equal evil. Monkey Kingdom is a passable time-passer, with lovely visuals and positive if oversimplified messages about conservation and motherhood, but nothing more. D.B.

Writer Alexi Kaye Campbell and director Simon Curtis hew closely to the facts in telling the true story of Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), who successfully petitioned the Austrian government for the return of five Gustav Klimt masterpieces stolen from her family by Adolf Hitler’s thugs. Mirren is, as always, a formidable tower of strength, as is the oftenunderrated Ryan Reynolds as her American attorney. Daniel Brühl, as a sympathetic Austrian journalist, matches them when he can, though his character is given short shrift in deference to Anglo-American star power (in real life, the journalist’s work was far more crucial to the outcome). It’s an immensely satisfying Davidand-Goliath story, showing that sometimes the good guys win—even if it takes 70 years and the gumption of a Helen Mirren to do it. J.L.

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Attend the VIP WINE EXPERIENCE during Bud Break Weekend at the OLD SUGAR MILL WINERIES Clarksburg on April 25th & 26th Featuring VIP-only 6-Wine Taste & Learn hosted by Master of Wine, Norma Poole + catered appetizers + exclusive Meet & Greet with winery principals + VIP 3-Flight Tasting at 6 wineries + complimentary grape vine to take home! Early bird pricing till 4/20 ($10 off or buy 2 for $55) All day access to FREE Live music, food trucks, & tours (insert ticket link) or www.oldsugarmill.com

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The many lives of Torrey Tee The Sacramento rapper juggles art,   music and work in the 916 Torrey Tee leads two lives. He’s a rapper who loves to hit the clubs, smoke blunts and talk women. He’s also a working stiff trying to make Sacramento a by Janelle Bitker more youth-friendly place, spending most of his days with developmentally disabled kids. j a ne l l e b @ “Of course I wanna be the rapper and I ne w s re v i e w . c o m wanna do all the shows,” he says. “But at the same time, I want to be the catalyst for change in communities I once lived in, from Valley Hi to North Highlands. phOTO By LAURAn FAyne wORThy

Living the honest rap lifestyle.

Catch Torrey Tee at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the Colony, 3512 Stockton Boulevard. Donald Ricardo, Doe the Unknown and Logic One are also on the bill. Cover is $7. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ TorreyTee.

30   |   SN&R   |   04.16.15

“Kids are important; they’re seeds. You gotta give them nutrients and water to help them grow. There’s a lot of poisonous activity out there.” So when a new rapper asks for advice, Tee passes on one of the biggest tenants of hip-hop: write about what you know, who you are, what you do and where you come from. Tee didn’t always think that way. He started rapping at age 13, pushing out mixtape after mixtape through high school. His early album covers show him looking a little ridiculous, perched on the hood of a Bentley that he could never afford or surrounded by Gucci bags that he didn’t own. But now, at age 27, he’s segued smoothly into honest lifestyle rap. More layers: Tee passionately wants to represent his hometown of Sacramento, but he also feels a deep connection to Dallas, where he was born and where much of his family still lives. At the same time, he’s the son of a Nigerian immigrant, and Tee emphasizes those African roots as well. He’s even planning his first-ever trip to Nigeria, hopefully in the next year or two.

“I’m excited to go on my own street with my last name on it—seeing that deep-rooted history is going to be huge for me,” he says. “I think how I approach music is going to be totally different after that.” Tee’s real last name is Thomas-Ogiamien, but “Torrey Tee” stuck ever since his uncle came up with the nickname when he was just 2 years old. Ogiamien is tricky to pronounce. No one can guess how Tee’s music might change after coming face-to-face with his family’s history, but it’ll probably continue to be radio-friendly rap with flashier production than most in the underground hip-hop circuit. Still, his ethos has changed quite a bit from just a few years ago, when he signed with management and constantly hustled to open for big acts at Ace of Spades. In 2013, he took a break and went dark, focusing on writing and independence. His show on Friday, April 17, at the Colony will be his first since then. “When you get managed by someone, you can only take it so far,” he says. “There are some steps you have to take on your own.” During this hiatus, he’s been focused on a concept album that’s nearly complete—hopefully out in May—and about a weird phenomena: whenever Tee would glance at a clock, it would read 9:16.

“ Of course I wanna be the rapper and I wanna do all the shows. But at the same time, I want to be the catalyst for change in communities I once lived in, from Valley Hi to North Highlands.” With the time also signaling Sacramento’s area code, Tee took it as a push to make a record about everyday life in his town. He started writing down everything he did at 9:16 a.m. and 9:16 p.m., and these random activities will form 9:16, two connected EPs with an accompanying DVD of music videos. There are even short skits with real people who matter to Tee, linking songs together to create a narrative arc. The first album will build to a cliffhanger, then pick back up with the second record’s climax and conclusion. “I’m trying to make timeless music,” he says. “I’m not trying to put out content to put out content—I’m not a microwave artist.” Ω


Foodie rap and werewolves Rap cuisine: Action Bronson is known as a “foodie rapper,” a former chef from Queens who rolled into South by Southwest in Austin via food truck. When Bronson made a stop at Ace of Spades last Monday night, the 31-year-old demonstrated great verbal agility, with the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Many in the fairly large crowd knew the words to his songs, but it was still a pleasant surprise to this writer when he adorned his lyrics with phrases about “seasonal vegetables” or quipped that a “Caddy got the brown on top, just like creme brûlée.” It didn’t hurt that Bronson had producer The Alchemist (Dilated Peoples, Eminem) running the turntables at the show and revving up the crowd before Bronson hit the stage. Big Body Bes, the rapper’s longtime comedy foil who co-stars on Bronson’s popular show on Vice’s Munchies channel called Fuck, That’s Delicious, came out and got wild for a couple of songs as well. Just like a fiery stir fry.

On this particular night, the core three cellists of the five-piece group were the center of the show. Perttu Kivilaasko, in particular, held his own on some speed-metal cello soloing. But it wasn’t cellos or Metallica that folks talked about on R Street after the gig. It was werewolves. —Paul Piazza

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Open mic moves: About a week after local press stopped covering #TheMostOpenMicInTheCity, police officers started dropping by instead. The spoken word poetry-driven open mic started out as a flash mob and moved to Cesar Chavez Plaza earlier this year, but starting last month, police began telling the artists they couldn’t loiter in the park after dark. It’s against city code. At first, the open mic regulars defiantly stayed put, but last weekend they moved to a new time “in order to keep the peace,” according to an announcement on Facebook. No longer will you find the crew Monday nights at 8:08 p.m., but on Saturdays at 1 p.m. instead. Organizers noted it’ll also be easier on folks with kids and for those taking public transportation now. Another bonus: it’ll be more likely to stop the casual person walking by, because there will actually be people walking by.

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Epic metal: After the Apocalyptica show at Ace of Spades last Thursday night, people on the streets were actually discussing the opener, local symphonic metal band Graveshadow. The conversation centered on Graveshadow’s lyrical content— there was talk of Anne Rice novels, science fiction and fantasy onstage during the evening’s set—and the talk essentially went like this: “Werewolves? I’m in!” Thus, it was a good night for the Sacramento group, which played a high-energy 40-minute set before the headliner took over. Vocalist Heather Smith and bassist Ben Armstrong bounced all over while guitarists Matt Mitchell and William Walker led a balanced guitar attack. Keyboardist Valerie Hudak deftly straddled between two sets of keys, thrashing her head wildly all the while. By the time the Finnish masters of cello metal prepared to take the stage, Ace of Spades was packed to near capacity. The members of Apocalyptica cut their teeth on Metallica songs while still young lads studying classical music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. The ensuing album Plays Metallica by Four Cellos became an international sensation and the group has continued to tour and record around the world, playing a mix of hits from metal bands and its own classical compositions.

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Woah there: Portland’s Lost Lander breezed through LowBrau last Tuesday night. A free show is always a treat, but especially so when you know people in Grass Valley spent $12 to see the same band just a few days later. Lost Lander is on a California tour supporting its newest album, Medallion, a collection of indie pop and alternative dreamy rock with hints of new wave. There’s lots of cool, interesting synth, percussion and brass going on, though in LowBrau’s acoustically challenging room, we pretty much only got to appreciate the drums and keys. And while appreciate we did, Lost Lander’s three-part “Woaaaahhhs” and other cheerful, upbeat harmonies grew tiresome. Ah, adorable indie trends, how you get stale so fast. Take a listen to the band’s single “Walk on a Wire” on SoundCloud and decide if you’d rather pay $12 to see Lost Lander in a more legit venue next time around.

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17FRI

17FRI

17FRI

18SAT

Barry Manilow

Chris Webster and Nina Gerber

Con Brio

Breezin’

Sleep Train Arena, 7:30 p.m., $16.43-$121.19 Barry Manilow wrote both songs and some  of those commercial jingles that we’ve all  come to know: “Like a good neighbor …” and  POP the Band-Aid jingle. But most people  remember most fondly Manilow’s  work coming out of the 1970s. His roots seem  to come from the classic pop tunes that  originated in theatrical musicals. His biggest hits, “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs” and  “Copacabana (At the Copa)” have become  classics. He reached back in time for his 2014  release My Dream Duets where he performs  with Louis Armstrong, Mama Cass and other  deceased musicians. That’s the beauty of  technology, which he embraces at each stadium performance. 1 Sports Parkway,   www.barrymanilow.com.

Palms Playhouse, 8 p.m., $20

Torch Club, 9 p.m., $10

Chris Webster and Nina Gerber have deep  roots in the region and draw from the roots of  American music. Hints of ’50s-era rockabilly  mix with solid storytelling in “Fizz” from their  collaborative album Apple Blossom Lane.  Webster’s voice is unique; she clearly understands that it is an instrument and plays it as  such from the soulful “Lay Me Down Easy” to  the bluesy sound of “Sitting Here in Limbo” to  the more country-rock “Wild Ride.” Gerber’s  guitar playing is simply exquisite to hear and  watch. Their rendition of “Over the Rainbow”  ROOTS/AMERICANA is all Webster  and Gerber.  They’ve performed for a quarter-century and  are always spot on. 13 Main Street in Winters,  www.chriswebstermusic.com.

—Trina L. Drotar

—Trina L. Drotar

Golden Bear, 1:30 p.m., no cover

Touring in support of the new Kiss the Sun  EP, Con Brio’s charismatic frontman Ziek  McCarter and his mates return to town  for their fourth Torch Club visit in seven  months. Dishing out funk and soul grooves  that give reverence to the past while experiFUNK menting with the future, Con Brio  (“with spirit”) also exhibits that  longtime San Francisco penchant for liveperformance jamming, adding dance-heavy  facets of electronica, R&B and psychedelia.  Expect a hot and heavy mix of searing guitar, soulful organ, a two-piece horn section  and more-than-ample drums and bass—all  being delivered in harmony with McCarter’s  rich vocals. The band’s growing legion of  enthusiastic fans help propel each live show.  905 15th Street, www.thebandconbrio.com.

It’s not really a weekend until you put  down your laptop and unwind a little bit.  Thankfully, that’s exactly what Shaun  Slaughter’s newest day party (eating, drinking and listening to tunes) will help you to  YACHT ROCK do. At “Breezin’: A  Sun Drenched Day  Party,” Slaughter (pictured) and Adam Jay  will spin yacht rock (think ’70s and ’80s soft  rock), “warm” disco, funk and “other mellow  jams” while you relax and take advantage of  drink specials and grub from Golden Bear.  Suggested gear: Hawaiian shirts, sailor hats,  boat shoes, pastel shorts. The party ends at  5:30 p.m., and if the afternoon of Breezin’ fun  goes well, it might become a regular event  throughout the summer. 2326 K Street,   www.goldenbear916.com.

—Alan Sheckter

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18SAT

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19SUN

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Marisa Anderson

Said the Shotgun

Agent Orange

Delhi 2 Dublin

Gold Lion Arts, 8 p.m., $12-$15

Old Ironsides, 9 p.m., $5

Marisa Anderson is the kind of musician  who is a both meticulous composer and a  free-form improviser—and it’s tough to tell  which she’s doing at any given moment. The  Portland guitarist plays gorgeous genretinkering, instrumental licks that really tap  into the guitar’s potential as an expressive  tool, both in terms of building profound  melodies and in creating a strong mood.  She paints with country, blues, noise, rock  BLUES/ROCK and jazz—but twists  these genres inside  out, playing fluidly, emotively, atmospherically and never with much technical flash.  It’s the kind of music that is so starkly  simple, it’s just incredible. 2733 Riverside  Boulevard, www.marisaandersonmusic.com.

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 8 p.m., $12

Sacramento bluesy rock band Said the  Shotgun started working on its debut album  Snake Oil about a year ago, just months after  playing together for the first time. Members  cite influences from previous hometowns,  including polar opposites Los Angeles and  the Mississippi Delta, as well as rootsy,  Americana classics and British rock ’n’  roll. As a duo of guitar and drums, Said the  Shotgun channels the energies of other duos  such as the Black Keys, the White Stripes  and Royal Blood. On Saturday, celebrate the  ROCK release of Snake Oil along with  local folk-rock band the Sealegs  and local space-rock band Infinite Vastness.  1901 10th Street, www.saidtheshotgun.com.

—Janelle Bitker

—Aaron Carnes

Center for the Arts, 8 p.m., $20-$22

Largely overlooked for more than 35 years,  seasoned surf-punk trio Agent Orange  has been at it since 1979, when bands like  SURF PUNK the Damned, Black  Flag and Joy Division  roamed the land. Credited with defining an  Orange County punk sound that included  a peppering of Dick Dale-like surf guitar,  Agent Orange created an archetype for  others to follow. The band’s sounds have  been featured in major movies, video games  and TV. These days, the power trio of founding member Mike Palm, Perry Gx and Dave  Klein, still delivers a frenetic-paced set  of high-voltage power cords and rhythm,  along with intelligent lyrics. Colorado’s In  the Whale will open the show. 2708 J Street,  www.agentorange.net.

What a difference a little time can make.  Delhi 2 Dublin played to less than a handful of  folks in Sacramento just a few years ago and  has already ascended to headlining status  at the gorgeous Center For The Arts. The  Vancouver-based group caught attention  through high-energy shows and blending  such disparate genres as reggae, Celtic  fare and global rhythms that make any pair  of feet restless. After seven releases and  ELECTRONIC/DANCE incessant  touring, the  hard work of official members Tarun Nayar  (tabla, electronics), Sanjay Seran (vocals)  and Ravi Binning (dhol, dholak) has paid off  and then some. Expect a diverse crowd with  ages all over the map. 314 West Main Street  in Grass Valley, www.delhi2dublin.com.

—Alan Sheckter

—Eddie Jorgensen

April 18–25, 2015 Reno’s first ever Craft Beer Week, saluting the biggest little city’s rich culture with an enthusiastic clink. Spill into the streets and catch one of the dozens of events – from craft brew specials at a classic dive to testing a flight at one of Reno's new, award winning brew pubs. It's the week you've been waiting for.

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NIGHTBEAT

THURSDAY 4/16

FRIDAY 4/17

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790

Tipsy Thursdays, Top 40 deejay dancing, 9pm, call for cover

Fabulous and Gay Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

Saturday Boom, 9pm, call for cover

Sin Sunday, 8pm, call for cover

Mad Mondays, 9pm M, call for cover

BAR 101

Karaoke Night, 7:30pm, no cover

RICH CORPORATION, 9:30pm, no cover

HERO’S LAST MISSION, HUMBLE WOLF; 9:30pm, no cover

DENVER SAUNDERS, 2-5pm, no cover

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

BLUE LAMP

C-DUBB, 8pm, call for cover

DIVA KINGS, CHICK P’S; 6pm, $5-$7; BOB WAYNE, KB & THE SLINGTONES, Reggae w/ Wokstar and guests, 10pm, $5 ONE EYED REILLY; 8pm, $10-$15

REAGAN YOUTH, AGNOSTIC BLUNT, PRESSURE POINT; 7pm, $12-$15

Open-mic, M; CORMORANT, WILD HUNT; 8pm Tu, $8; THE KNOCKOFFS, 8pm W

BADLANDS 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.

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

THE BOARDWALK

9819 Horn Rd., (916) 361-1797

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

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

COUNTRY CLUB SALOON

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

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Trivia night, 7pm Tu, no cover;

LORRAINE GERVAIS, 8pm, $24-$26

LORRAINE GERVAIS, 8pm, $24-$26

ISLAND OF BLACK AND WHITE, 9pm1am, no cover

EASY STREET BAND, 9pm-1am, no cover

Date Auction, 9pm, call for cover

DJ DM, 10pm, call for cover

DIVE BAR

Deuling Pianos, 9pm, no cover

FACES

Kamikaze Karaoke, 9pm-2am, no cover

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

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

FOX & GOOSE

THE MIKE JUSTIS BAND, 8pm, no cover

THE F STREET STOMPERS, KERI CARR BAND; 9pm, $5

FUKU & THE DEADLY VENOMS, MRCH; 9pm, $5

G STREET WUNDERBAR

THE BUMPTET, 10pm, call for cover

THE NICKEL SLOTS, 10pm, no cover

ELEMENT BRASS BAND, 10pm, call for cover

GOLDFIELD TRADING POST

WESTBOUND 50, 9pm, no cover

MANZANITA, 9pm, no cover

HALFTIME BAR & GRILL

SKID ROSES, 9pm-midnight, $5

8 TRACK MASSACRE, 9pm-midnight, $5

DWELE, BIG MIKE HART; 10pm, $30-$35

TAINTED LOVE, 10pm, $15-$18

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

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.

CATALYST, 6:30pm, no cover

DJ Luigi, 10pm, call for cover

1022 K St., (916) 737-5999

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825 228 G St., Davis; (530) 756-9227 1603 J St., (916) 476-5076

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

HARLOW’S

RITA COOLIDGE, 7pm, $40

THE HIDEAWAY BAR & GRILL

Trash Rock Thursdays, 9pm, no cover

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693 2565 Franklin Blvd., (916) 455-1331

LUNA’S CAFÉ & JUICE BAR 1414 16th St., (916) 441-3931

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

MIDTOWN BARFLY

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

Sit n Spin Poetry Slam, 8pm, no cover

RICHIE LAWRENCE, KATIE THOMAS, GENE WILLIAMS; 5pm, $8

That Thing on Friday, EDM, 10pm, $5

Throwdown w/ Mighty Mouse, 10pm, $5-$10

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

4/16 5:30PM $40 AN EVENING WITH LEGENDARY SINGER

4/20 6PM $12ADV

CAYUCAS

RITA COOLIDGE

(ALL AGES SHOW)

4/21 8PM $22.50ADV

4/17 9PM $30ADV

DWELE

THE DEAD MILKMEN THE BANANAS

BIG MIKE HART

4/18 8:30PM $15ADV

4/22 7PM $10ADV

TAINTED LOVE

NIGHT TO COUNTRY

WITH FLAT BUSTED & THE KENNY FRYE BAND

4/23 7PM $8

4/19 7PM $10ADV

AGENT ORANGE IN THE WHALE

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THE J BAND

SAMBA DA TERRA, LILLA

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 4/20-4/22

MORGAN HERITAGE, 7pm Tu, $20

DISTRICT 30

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

Hey local bands!

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

SUNDAY 4/19

ABK, AXE MURDER BOYZ, BIG HOODOO, OM3N, NINJALOC; 6:30pm, $15

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

BROOKSIDE RESTAURANT & BAR

SATURDAY 4/18

4/24 Nora Jane Struthers /Merrygold (all ages) 4/24 Arden Park Roots (21+) 4/25 Sir Michael Rocks (all ages) 4/25 Big Eyed Fish (Dave Matthews Tribute) (21+) 4/26 Curren$y (all ages) 4/29 Big Data (all ages) 5/01 Life in the Fastlane (Eagles Tribute)(all ages) 5/01 John Nemeth (21+) 5/02 Andy McKee (all ages) 5/02 Killer Queens (Queen Tribute) / The Jean Genies (David Bowie Tribute)(21+) 5/03 The Beatles 1965 (all ages) 5/05 Helmet (21+) 5/07 Timothy Bloom (21+) 5/08 CIP After Party (21+) 5/09 Joseph in the Well (all ages) 5/09 Solsa (21+) 5/13 Howard Jones (21+) 5/14 Dru Hill (21+)

A THOUSAND YEARS AT SEA, ALBA’S EDGE; 7:30pm W, $12-$18

DELHI 2 DUBLIN, 8pm, $22-$24

ANDREW BAYER, 10pm W, call for cover TODD MORGAN, 9pm, no cover

EMILY KOLLARS, 9pm Tu, no cover; BOCA DO RIO, 9pm W, call for cover

Dragalicious, 9pm, $5

Karaoke, 9pm-2am M; Latin night, 9pm Tu, $5; DJ Alazzawi, 9pm W, $3 Open-mic, 7:30pm M; Pub Quiz, 7pm Tu; Northern Soul and Cornhole, 8pm W

BROTHERS OSBORNE, 8pm Tu, $18

AGENT ORANGE, IN THE WHALE; 8pm, $10-$12

CAYUCAS, 7pm M, $14; THE DEAD MILKMEN, 9pm Tu, $25; FLAT BUSTED, 8pm W

Metal Mass Brunch, noon, no cover; Sunday Sinema, 8pm, no cover

Roger Carpio, Tim Matranga; 9pm M; Cactus Pete, 8pm Tu; Trivia, 8pm W

WEDNESDAYS KNCI 18 & OVER COLLEGE NIGHT THURSDAYS

NO COVER BANDS IN THE BACK OPEN MIC UP FRONT FRIDAYS

COUNTRY DJ IN THE BACK BAND UP FRONT SATURDAYS

COUNTRY DJ IN THE BACK KARAOKE UP FRONT SUNDAYS

Nebraska Monday, M; Open-mic comedy, 8pm Tu; Irish and Celtic music jam, 7pm W

ON STAGE AT THE

STATE THEATRE Friday & Saturday April 17 & 18 at 7:30pm • $20

An Evening With Jack Gallagher

Friday & Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2pm April 24 - May 10 • $22 & $35

Calendar Girls

Sunday, May 17 at 4:00pm • $30 A Musical Tribute To The Beatles

In My Life

18 & OVER COLLEGE NIGHT

CINEMA AT THE STATE Thursday, May 7 • 7 pm • $6

STONEYS SERVES GREAT DINNERS AND SANDWICHES WEDENSDAY - SUNDAY

An Interview with Edward Snowden

2014 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary

1320 DEL PASO BLVD

985 Lincoln Way, Auburn • 530-885-0156 www. livefromauburn.com

STONEYINN.COM | 916.927.6023

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JOURNEY DAN & JADE LUVDAE, JEN COO- ZACH VAN DYCK, KINGDOM, GAN BAND, GIANNA BIAGI; 8:30pm, $5 THE SHAFTS; 8:30pm, $5

OLD IRONSIDES

Open acoustic folk jam, 7pm, no cover

LOSING KIND, COLD FEELINGS, SIMPL3JACK; 9pm, $5

SAID THE SHOTGUN, SEA LEGS, INFINITE VASTNESS; 9pm, $5

ON THE Y

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

EROSZION, PATH OF TOTALITY, GREASE HOUND, DYING IMAGE; 8pm, $5

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

CHRIS WEBSTER AND NINA GERBER, 8pm, $20

SAPO GUAPO, 8:30pm, $15

1901 10th St., (916) 442-3504 670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

THE PALMS PLAYHOUSE

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

PISTOL PETE’S

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

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

PJ’S ROADHOUSE

5461 Mother Lode, Placerville; (530) 626-0336

POWERHOUSE PUB

HIRED GUNS, 10pm, call for cover

614 Sutter St., Folsom; (916) 355-8586

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 4/20-4/22

THOMAS HATCH, TAO TARIKI; 8:30pm, $5

Jazz session, 8pm M; CLOUDSPOTTER, I’D DIE FOR LO-FI; 8:30pm W, $5 Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover; Open-mic, 9pm W, no cover Open-mic comedy, 9pm, no cover

HERO’S LAST MISSION, ZEN ARCADIA, CHICK HABIT; 9:30pm, $5

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, W, no cover

OPTIMIZTIQ, MAGIK, CALI BEAR GANG, PRICE, SYREN; 8:30pm, call for cover

GRAVESHADOW, DREAM IN RED, IN THE SILENCE; 8pm, $5

CHRIS GARDNER, 10pm, call for cover

NOT YOUR STYLE, 10pm, call for cover

ANNIE SAMPSON, 3pm, call for cover

ZERO DAY THREAT, DECADE OF STATUES; 8pm W, call for cover HEDERSLEBEN, ST. JAMES + THE APOSTELS, INSTAGON; 8pm M, $7

THE PRESS CLUB

Heckarap, 9pm, no cover

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

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

Sunday Night Soul Party, 9pm, $5

SHADY LADY SALOON

HARLEY WHITE JR., 9pm, no cover

VINTAGE VANDALS, 9pm, no cover

JOE MAZZAFERRO, 9pm, no cover

ALEX JENKINS, 9pm, no cover

1517 21st St., (916) 704-0711

THE CHARLES GUNN BAND, CASH CARTELL, SULLIVAN’S WRIGHT; 8pm

DEAD EYES OPEN, SLAVES OF MANHAT- TERRA FERNO, CALIFORNIA RIOT ACT, TAN, UP AGAINST IT, MDSO; 7pm, $6 FAIR STRUGGLE; 8pm, $5

STONEY INN/ROCKIN’ RODEO

WESTBOUND 50, 8pm, no cover

Country dancing, 7:30pm, no cover; $5 after 8pm

VINTAGE VANDALS, BB MCKAY & THE BUMPS; 4pm, $10

Country dance party, 8pm, no cover

URBANFIRE, THE SCRATCH OUTS; 6pm, $8

MAXX CABELLO JR., 6pm, $8

AMANDA GRAY, 2pm, $5

PAILER AND FRATIS, 5:30-7:30pm, no cover; CON BRIO, 9pm, $10

STEVEN ROTH BAND, 9pm, $8

Torch Club 80th anniversary blowout celebration, 4pm, call for cover

ARIEL JEAN, MICHAEL RAY; 8pm Tu, $5; HIBBITY DIBBITY, ZUHG; 9pm W, $5

ROYAL BLOOD, LIFE IN 24 FRAMES, MINI MANSIONS; 7pm, $15

TECH N9NE, CHRIS WEBBY, KRIZZ KALIKO, KING 810, MURS; 6pm M, $35

2030 P St., (916) 444-7914 1409 R St., (916) 231-9121

STARLITE LOUNGE

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SWABBIES

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TORCH CLUB

904 15th St., (916) 443-2797

X TRIO, 5pm, no cover; RED’S BLUES, KYLE JESTER, 9pm, $6

Dwele with Big Mike Hart 10pm Friday, $30-$35. Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub Soul

DAD?, CROWN LARKS, ALL ABOUT ROCKETS, DRIVE-THRU MYSTICS; 8pm W, $5 Comedy open-mic, 8pm M; Bluebird Lounge open-mic, 5pm Tu, no cover

All ages, all the time ACE OF SPADES

LIGHTS, SAINT MOTEL; 7pm, $15

STURGILL SIMPSON, 7pm, $18

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Open-mic, 7pm, call for cover

WOULD BE TRAIN ROBBERS, MONDO DECO, THE ROYAL JELLY; 8pm, $5

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BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, 7pm, $32

Retrogen916 game night, 6-10pm Tu, no cover

THE COLONY

DONALD RICARDO, TORREY TEE, DOE THE UNKNOWN; 7pm, $7

PUNKY, MARMIZZO, BAYSHO BUSINESS, CREEPER; 9pm, $10

SHINE

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IN THE NO, KAREN SANDERS, BUDDHACLOPS; 8pm, $5

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Open jazz jam, 8pm Tu; Poetry with Bill Gainer, 7pm W, call for cover

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TECH N9NE CHRIS WEBBY - KRIZZ KALIKO - KING 810 - MURS - ZUSE - CHERRY RED TUESDAY, APRIL 21

ENTER SHIKARI

STRAY FROM THE PATH - A LOT LIKE BIRDS - I THE MIGHTY – ARTISANS - ARTISANS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

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SATURDAY, APRIL 25

PARMALEE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

YASIIN BEY AKA MOS DEF THURSDAY, APRIL 30

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Fuku & the Deadly Venoms with MRCH 9pm Saturday, $5. Fox & Goose Alt-rock

SAUL HERNANDEZ

COMING

SOON

05/08 05/09 05/10 05/12 05/13 05/14 05/16 05/17 05/20 05/29 05/30 06/05 06/12 06/19 06/20 06/26 07/07 07/09 07/24 08/08 08/28

Mickey Avalon & Dirt Nasty Less Than Jake / Reel Big Fish E40 Sepultura Twizted Earl Sweatshirt FallRise The Waterboys Glass Animals IM5 Dokken Nico & Vinz The Story So Far The English Beat The Original Wailers Robin Trower Shovels & Rope John Mayall Between The Buried And Me Echo & The Bunnymen Moonshine Bandits

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL DIMPLE RECORDS LOCATIONS AND ARMADILLO RECORDS, OR PURCHASE BY PHONE @ 916.443.9202 SN&R BEFORE | NEWS | FEATURE STORY | A RT S & C U LT U R E | AFTER | 04.16.15 | |

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[E-LIQUID] PROPYLENE GLYCOL

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Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (916) 498-1234 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 9am-5pm. All ads post online same day. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

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*Nominal fee for adult entertainment. All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

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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.

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Meditation of the Week “People don’t understand the kind  of fight it takes to record what you  want to record, the way you want  to record it,” said Billie Holiday.  How strong is your vision for what  is right?

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That depends on this: Is he willing to employ any means necessary to heal himself? Rage is complicated. It’s frequently a symptom of something else, like unresolved trauma and grief. That’s why it can be seen in some of the people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Rage can also be a symptom of a brain tumor or other serious medical condition. Outbursts of verbal and physical violence are also symptoms of certain medications prescribed for physical health issues. And explosions of rage are common to certain psychiatric disorders. Yes, it’s complicated. Unfortunately, we’ve been socialized to believe that a violent person is mean, a bully who needs to curb his behavior. Or even worse, some people perpetuate the belief that a violent person is evil, or a monster. Those labels support ancient thinking—pre20th century—that the individual is possessed by a demon or is a devil. That’s embarrassing for our species, isn’t it? It’s time to

916.449.8888

These are m od

Never push to resolve arguments that spin toward abuse. Return to the issue at a later time, if it is safe to do so.

engage our 21st-century brains on the reality of the human condition. We can’t solve this contemporary relationship problem with an ancient understanding of human behavior. So where should your friend draw the line? The boundary can be established after certain relationship basics are understood. Let’s begin here: Communication is an exchange that creates intimacy. But even the closest couples will sometimes have disagreements. In order to manage conflict each partner must be self-aware so they understand when to cleave to their core values (honesty, respect, integrity, etc.). Each partner must also know when to collaborate on a solution. And, they must be mature enough to accept that some disagreements do not need closure or agreement. However, if namecalling begins, a cooling-off period is required immediately. Never push to resolve arguments that spin toward abuse. Return to the issue at a later time, if it is safe to do so. Never permit anyone to throw anything at you. If you stay in the room, you are offering yourself as a target. If you offer yourself as a target, and permit practice throws to continue, you will eventually be physically injured, or worse. If you are in a relationship in which your partner intimidates you, and you want to work through it, perhaps because of his or her PTSD diagnosis, you cannot live together. You must both see a psychologist weekly in separate sessions. You must also engage in courses, such as stress reduction and communication skills, to learn how to interact in healthy ways. You must continue to do the work of healing on your own before living together again. Yes, that means buying a house together was not a life-giving choice for your friend. It ties her to a situation that is currently harmful to her spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health. Ω

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All the rage A friend told me that her three-year marriage —which seemed loving—was actually abusive. She was too embarrassed to tell anyone that her husband calls her names, belittles her and has thrown things at her. In the beginning, he was romantic and put her needs first. They have just purchased a home. He works full-time. She has a chronic disease that prevents by Joey ga her from working much. But rcia she raised three girls and one boy on her own, all adults now. a skj oey @ ne wsreview.c om Last night, her husband got into a fistfight with her son. My friend got hurt trying to Joey separate them. The police told her believes in process, to call immediately if her husband not perfection. gets like that again. I told her to see a doctor and get her injuries on record. Sometimes couples argue as a way of negotiating needs. Where should women draw the line? Without the anger problem, I believe that he’s a great guy who loves her. Should she wait for him to get better?

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illustrations by Hayley DosHay

L

et’s rewind some 4,000 years. Why? Because there’s a history lesson to share. For instance, did you know that artifacts from back then prove that Egyptians used marijuana for medicinal purposes? Hell yes! Even Wikipedia says there is evidence that they put hemp suppositories up their butts to cure hemorrhoids. Seriously. But this is not why there is a hieroglyphics theme to this year’s SN&R 420 Issue, a guide to all things medical pot in Sacramento. Our designers just thought it looked cool. And we’re running with it.

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Other cOOLness in this week’s issue: Not sure what strain of medical pot is right for you? Page 51. Interested in learning how to cook with cannabutter? Page 54. Want to get up to speed with the smokestorm of marijuana laws in the mix at the state Capitol? Page 59. Begging to watch a stoner movie that’s not This is the End? Page 63.

april 20 is a celebration of cannabis culture and a day to recognize those in the cannabis community who fight every day for patients’ rights. thanks, and happy 4/20!

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420

the

issue

Ask Ngaio any question and he may answer it in his weekly SN&R column, The 420. Email him at ask420@newsreview.com.

by ngaio bealum ask420@ n ewsreview . com

S

o, you finally got around to getting a letter from the doctor allowing you to use cannabis in the state of California. Congratulations! You are now ready for your first visit to a cannabis dispensary. As you walk into a dispensary, you will most likely see your friendly, neighborhood dispensary security guard. They will want to see your letter of recommendation and your California ID. After they have seen your bona fides, you will enter the waiting-room area of the club and someone on the staff will ask you to fill out a membership form while they make a copy of your ID and doctor’s letter. The form will ask for the usual information, and it will inform you of the club’s rules and guidelines. When I worked at a dispensary in the early aughts, we would also give new members a speech to reinforce and stress the importance of following the rules. But clubs don’t do this as much anymore. I guess it’s because they figure you have been to a dispensary before. After your paperwork is verified, you will get to enter the club proper. Here’s how to act:

The dos and don’Ts of visiTing a medicalcannabis dispensary

Do not panic: It can be a little  overwhelming if you have never  been to a club before. Most

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dispensaries these days carry  an incredible variety of cannabis,  concentrates, salves, sprays, inhalers, pens, edibles, barbeque sauces,  blah blah blah, yadda yadda. There  will be many options to consider, but  don’t panic.

Do tell your budtender if it is your first time: They will talk you through it.  Many dispensaries offer special  deals and discounts to new  members. Your budtender will most  likely ask you about your medical  condition and your past experiences  with cannabis. After this talk with  your budtender, they should be able  to lead you to products that will  best suit your needs. Keep in mind  that everyone is different, and it  may take you a few tries to find the  cannabis product that works best  for you. Hey, experimenting with  cannabis is fun.

Don’t use slang: Try to keep your  language professional. Use words  like “cannabis” and “concentrates”  instead of words like “weed” and  “hash.”

Do follow your nose: When it comes  to deciding what particular strain  may be right for you, I encourage  you to trust your sense of smell.  For the longest time, scientists  thought that THC and CBD were the  most medically active chemicals  in the cannabis plant, but new  research is revealing that terpenes  (pronounced “tur-peens”), the  chemicals that give marijuana  plants such distinctive odors, also  have different effects. You can find a  list of smells and reported effects at  http://terpenes.weebly.com.  Some smell like pine, some smell  like blueberries or tangerines and

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some even reek like cat piss. Find  one that smells good to you and go  for it.  Also, consider: Terpenes have  different effects that correlate  with different smells. It’s like  cannabis plants want to make it  easy for us to feel exactly how we  want to feel. If I was more metaphysically minded, I might say it’s  almost as if humans and cannabis  plants were designed to work  together. But I digress.

Don’t get high right after you visit the dispensary: Don’t consume  cannabis in your car, or anywhere  near the dispensary. Don’t leave  your friends sitting in the car while  you visit the club. Don’t sit in the  parking lot and split up your new  purchase. (By the way, sharing  your medical cannabis with someone that doesn’t have a valid letter  of recommendation is a crime.)

Don’t get too high before visiting a dispensary: A dispensary isn’t a  record store. You aren’t going to  get stoned and dig through crates.  You are going to have to interact  with human beings and process the  information they give you in a timely  manner, because there are most  likely people waiting in line behind  you. There’s no need to rush or feel  hurried, because there are a lot of  things to look at and talk about, but  no one needs your overmedicated  slow-thinking shenanigans today.

Do respect the neighborhood:  Complaints from neighbors are the  No. 1 reason that a dispensary will  get shut down. Help the club stay in  business by being respectful.

Don’t ask for a discount: You aren’t at  a flea market. Neither are you sitting  on your homie’s couch. You are at a  place of business. Most clubs have  specials, discount programs and  even rewards cards. Ask about the  deals they have that day and stop  trying to haggle.

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Fellas, don’t hit on the budtenders:  When I talk to female budtenders  about their jobs, the No. 1 complaint  is about guys constantly trying to  flirt. I totally get it. She’s cute. She  knows a great deal about cannabis.  And she is incredibly friendly. While  it is true that those attributes are  the top-three things most hardcore  cannabis users look for in a life partner, they also happen to be the top  three things dispensary managers  look for in an employee.

When it comes to deciding what particular strain may be right for you, trust your sense of smell. Before you have a go at it, keep  this in mind: She’s at work, and you  aren’t the first genius to make a  clumsy and ridiculously ill-timed  pass at her today. So, unless she  makes some sort of gigantic,  totally obvious move toward you,  leave your joint in the bag and keep  it professional.

Do be a great customer: Getting  awesome service at a cannabis  club isn’t hard to do. Being a great  customer is also fairly simple. Most  of the time, paying attention and  being respectful are all you need.  If you have visited a dispensary  or two and you still feel a little  weird or awkward, keep looking.  We are fortunate to have plenty  of professional medical-cannabis  dispensaries in Sacramento, so if  you poke around a little you will be  able to find one that fits your needs  and your personality.         Ω

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420

the

Our writer finally gets a medicalcannabis physician referral by

anthony siino anthon ys @ n ew s r ev i ew . com

issue

A

fter years of quick-fix usage of marijuana to patch over some health concerns, I’ve decided to make a move from lazy self-medication to real treatment: Time to get my recommendation and go legal.

I knew little about medical-pot recommendations, aside from what I read editing this paper’s The 420 column every week. Would I end up on a federal shit-list? Would the doctor’s office be shady? Would they give me papers that I wouldn’t realize were false until being loaded into a police cruiser? Could I really expect treatment, not enablement? Asking around, everybody had good words about 420 Med Evaluations at 2015 Q Street. I collected words of warning: For example, some said not to buy the ID card offered by the doctor, while others suggested that even the “proper” ID card

provided by local government wouldn’t do much. I knew in advance to bring an SN&R and find a coupon that mentions the Medical Board of California to get a price-matched recommendation. Cash is also a must at 420 Med Evaluations. ($50 with aforementioned coupons). I make the appointment, and 20 minutes later I’m in the doctor’s office. The repurposed room lacks the sterility of a standard medical office, with its warm colors and residential-style brown-tile counter and wooden cabinets. The doctor fills out the forms and asks some basic questions. It doesn’t seem like she’s going to ask about why I need medical pot, so I jump in and start asking her about what strains I should seek out to calm my nerves, about proper dosages and frequency. She has no good answers for me. It’s a bit of a blow, but it’s because she’s more knowledgeable about chronic physical pain. She’s happy to help me get access to medication, but as to the treatment plan itself, that’s something I should be talking about with a physician or psychiatrist.

As a whole, the experience both is and isn’t what I assumed. Was I naive to assume that I would receive a treatment plan from a pot doctor? Maybe. But, then again, why should it be naive to expect basic, proper advice on how to use weed? On the other hand, I now have safe and legal access to cheap medicine that I know works for me, and it wasn’t a hassle to get it.

I make the appointment, and 20 minutes later I’m in the doctor’s office. After the visit, I’m on my bike and soaring over to All About Wellness, at 1900 19th Street. There’s a visceral thrill in knowing that I’m now free and legal—no more paranoia. At the dispensary, everybody is gracious and smiling. After handing over my new recommendation and my driver’s license, I’m asked to wait for a moment and soon find myself in the main room.

The room is a wonderland: potted plants to the left, a counter of oils, a rack of marijuanainfused coffees and teas in Keurig cups, jars upon jars of bud, pot cookies and candies behind the register and all of the necessary paraphernalia in a cabinet to the right. The air is sticky and sweet. The budtender patiently listens as I lay out my issues and ask for recommendations. He suggests an indica strain, something that will calm me down, pause the obsessive thoughts and help me to sleep. I ask a few more questions and decide to start in a middle ground, choosing a gram of an indica-sativa blend, Sweet Dream. He hands me a jar and the bud smells sweet and potent. He bags it. I hand him my cash. (Pro tip: It’s a donation, not a purchase.) I set out to get my recommendation, received it, got my medicine and returned to my apartment in less than an hour. The shortest, least irritating medical trip I’ve ever made. The next step will be to start looking at therapy again, but in the meantime I have access to affordable medicine to keep me going. Ω

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the

420

issue

by Nick miller

SIMPLY THE BEST Winner 4 years in a row!

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

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Our writer uses a differeNt medical-pOt straiN every day tO see what ‘mediciNe’ wOrks best

Day one, Girl Scout Cookies: This strain is an  indica-dominant hybrid and is supposed to  relieve stress with its intense euphoria. Its  impact is sudden. I’m overtaken by the idea of  doing laundry. And then, I actually get up off  the couch and start a load. The danger of this strain is that it’s one of  those pot highs that makes you think you’re  hilarious—but you’re probably just pissing  off your girlfriend while she’s trying to watch  Modern Family reruns. Upside: It makes  brushing and flossing your teeth amazing. I think about how it’s inappropriate to  name marijuana Girl Scout Cookies. It’s like  calling a cigarette Sesame Street.

Day two, Blue Dream: This sativa-dominant  hybrid is, according to Leafly.com, supposed  to proffer “gentle cerebral invigoration.”  Leafly.com is full of crap. Almost immediately upon vaporizing, a  dryness overtakes the eyes, which feel as if  they’re wobbling inside their sockets. I start  obsessing over my heart rate. I’m going to die  a death by cerebral overload. It’s like my mind  is watching every David Lynch film at once.

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meltdown, I’m nervous about another bad  experience. This strain delivers, though, and  the high is similar to Girl Scout Cookies. I’m  once again the funniest man in Sacramento.  My girlfriend insists that I crack wise in the  kitchen while doing dishes. The sink water is  warm like Hawaiian tides.

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Day four, Thin Mints: All sorts of lethargy kicks  in with Thin Mints. I watch that Vince Vaughn  movie The Internship and actually like it. On TV  news, there’s a bear stuck in a tree in the city  of Tracy. The bear eventually tumbles from  the branches, falling several feet before landing on a blanket held by firefighters. Onlookers  shriek. KCRA shows this clip over and over.  This entire time, my body feels like it’s atop  one of those foot massagers at the State Fair.  I wake up on the couch at 5:30 a.m. and feel  uh-mazing.

Day five, Charlotte’s Web: This strain is packed  with CBDs, which supposedly help with pain  relief. But you hardly feel a head change. I’ve  gotten more high from a poppy seed muffin.

Day six, Sour Diesel: Have to take the dog for  a walk after a bowl of this sativa strain. The  mind is too racy to simply loaf around the  apartment. I come up with the idea of starting  a local business that installs smartphone  chargers at restaurants and bars. I’m going  to be a millionaire. And, if I had a million  dollars, I’d give it all to you to make this insane  high end.

Day seven, Grandaddy Purps: Like the Thin Mints,  the so-called GDP is a couch-lock medicine  that leaves a sweet taste in the mouth. Or  maybe that’s the pint of ice cream I just  finished off.

What did I learn from this week? As a career guy pushing 40, indica cannabis better suits my desire to chill after work. Sativas are for those of you painting murals or deejaying EDM music. Will I keep using medical pot? Probably not. Stoners have a bad reputation for being lazy, but getting high every day was a commitment. I’m already working full-time, and while getting stoned didn’t impact my job, it’s pretty hard to carve out time to do absolutely nothing every day. Ω

F E AT U R E

STORY

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You’ve heard the claims: Pot will melt away stress. Pot will tuck you into bed for eternal slumber. Four out of five doctors prefer pot over alcohol as a coping mechanism for your crummy job (perhaps true; there was a recent New York Times feature on this). Maybe I need more pot in my life? There are, however, hundreds upon hundreds of different marijuana strains. You know, with disconcerting names like Green Crack. And each strain leaves you feeling a different way. With a nod to writer Roberto Jamón of Willamette Week—he’s a self-described “weed hater” who did a story up in Portland about smoking different strains to see if he would hop on the state’s legal-pot bandwagon—I too obtained a physician referral, packed bowls into an Iolite vaporizer and got high for seven straight days. Would I learn to love weed? Or would I just get fired from my job?

Day three, OG Kush: After last night’s anxiety

Bradshaw

I

’ve used pot less than a handful of times over the past few years. But starting tonight, I’ll be getting high every evening for the next seven days.

’13

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the

420

issue

by Janelle BitKer jan el l eb @ n ew s r ev i ew . com

With a little help from a top canna chef, our Writer throWs the ultimate medical-pot dinner party

M

y friends went from sober small talk to jittery, irrelevant chatter sooner than anticipated. One insisted on rushing home to actually, literally bring his television over so everyone could play Street Fighter. Another suggested running out for art-and-craft supplies. Yes, these people were all really stoned. No one left so soon, though. Instead, they slowly sank into their seats. The THC-laced bread pudding was on its way. I had embarked on throwing a legit, medical-marijuana dinner party. I love to cook and entertain, and high people love to eat and be entertained. It seemed perfect. It was perfect. But I had never prepared edibles before. I scoured marijuana cookbooks and websites, and quickly learned the world of weed

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cookery has grown far, far beyond pot brownies and space cakes. I called up Jeff the 420 Chef, who the Daily Beast dubbed the “Julia Child of weed.” Jeff doesn’t use his last name in his medicinal cooking endeavors, and he recently ditched his sales job in New York

when you’re dealing with a potentially frightening Maureen Dowd overdose. Ask at the dispensary and calculate accordingly. For example, if you buy a gram of weed with 10 percent THC, you’d get 1,000 milligrams of weed and 100 milligrams of

I called up Jeff the 420 Chef, who the Daily Beast dubbed the “Julia Child of weed.” to throw fancy marijuana-infused dinner parties and teach cooking classes around the country. He had a lot of great advice, which I shall now pass on to you. Before grabbing a stick of butter, pay attention to the THC content of your bud. Some strains have 20 percent, others 10 percent, and that makes a big difference

THC. Most edibles in dispensaries carry 10 milligrams of THC per serving, but 5 milligrams is solid for a beginner. So depending on the experience levels of your party, one stick of butter infused with a gram would give you 10 to 20 servings—roughly one tablespoon for regular users or a half of a tablespoon for beginners.


Then, you need to think about the mood of your party. Do you want dancing? Go with a sativa strain. Do you want it chill? Indica. Maybe you want to start with sativa, then end with indica so everyone gets tired and goes home sooner. I won’t tell. On to the fun part: menu planning. Everything must be fatty, obviously, because of the weed butter or infused oil you’ll be using in each dish. And since THC starts to degrade at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll want to avoid frying, sautéing or baking your goods at high temperatures. Remember those pot brownies you attempted in college at the usual 350 degrees, and how for some reason they just didn’t get you very high? And finally, the true genius and challenge of the dinner party: flexibility. “Monitor everyone at your party. After an hour, an hour and a half, ask them how they’re

doing and gauge what to serve them next,” Jeff advised. “You can’t make a recipe exactly the same every time for every person. If you replace a stick of butter with cannabutter in a dessert after a full meal, everyone’s going to get too much.” I opted for a four-course meal, averaging a little more than a tablespoon of butter per person spread over two hours. They began with Thai iced tea and a buckwheat blini with a lemony yogurt-radish sauce. Guests could taste the cannabutter mixed into the tea’s condensed milk, but no one seemed to mind. On empty stomachs, the fuzzy relaxation set in within 30 minutes, though it can often take more than an hour to kick in. Jeff recommended Indian spices to mask the weed taste, so I went with a curried sweet potato and lentil soup. No one could detect anything off. Then, I served pasta with a wild mushroom ragu and plenty of fresh herbs, to

compliment the taste of the herb. That worked too. I baked two bread puddings— one brushed with a bit of weed butter and the other without—just in case anyone felt too high for more marijuana, but not too high to say no to dessert. Guests filled out comment cards along the way, generally attesting to absence of the expected ick

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In the morning, my friends reported back appreciating the pace of the evening and the gradual high that never became overwhelming. Most tracked in the comment cards feeling “sober,” then “giggly,” then “cloudy,” then “elated.” But no two people are the same, proven by the one who just wrote: “communication an issue.” Ω

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the

420

issue

by David Downs

From a vaping ban to gooD ol’ regulation eFForts, a rounDup oF possible new CaliFornia pot laws

T

he people of California have convened a historic legislative session this year. According to some lobbyists, never has there been this level of lawmaker interest in medical cannabis. The deadline to introduce new bills passed on February 27, and there are at least 13 bills in the state Assembly and Senate directly dealing with the popular botanical. Additionally, about 50 bills could have some obscure bearing on the industry. “It’s a hot, very hot topic this year in the state Capitol. That’s the only way to describe it. It’s among the top five items to be worked on this year,” says Nate Bradley for the California Cannabis Industry Association. Let’s have a rundown: California is at a historic crossroads with regard to its nearly 20-year-old, largely laissez faire medical-cannabis program. “The situation in California is inherently unstable,” said Drug Policy Alliance Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann to a San Francisco gathering in February. At least five BEFORE

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NEWS

bills seeking to regulate California’s billion-dollar medical-cannabis market get a crucial first hearing and analysis this month. On the table is Assembly Bill 26—a pro-industry bill. This bill would regulate cannabis like alcohol, vesting authority with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-South Los Angeles, resurrected San Francisco lawmaker Tom Ammiano’s failed 2014 language. Assembly Bill 266 is the more “pro-cop” bill. It’s allegedly tougher than A.B. 26 and is backed by the California Police Chiefs and League of Cities. It’s also considered unworkable by the Emerald Grower’s Association. Local Assemblyman Ken Cooley, who’s backing the bill, is from Rancho Cordova, which banned medical cannabis cultivation. Experts say A.B. 266 is likely to change significantly, or merge with another bill. Assemblyman Jim Wood has a viable, incremental effort to require indoor and outdoor medical cannabis cultivation to follow local environmental law with Assembly Bill 243. The regulations are part of a broad effort to allow the state water board to permit legal cannabis farms.

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F E AT U R E

And there’s Senate Bill 643—even more incremental and viable. North Coast state Senator Mike McGuire’s bill calls for basic studies on the best way to levy taxes and lays the groundwork for regulation. Vapor is also under fire at the Capitol this session. Senate Bill 140 would target cannabis vaporizer users in multifamily apartment complexes, who could be legally evicted under new laws meant to attack the rise of e-cigarettes. Sen. Mark Leno’s bill changes the definition of “tobacco products” to include “an electronic device that delivers nicotine or other substances to the person inhaling from the device.” The bill has a lot of momentum, and medical-cannabis advocates hope they can win a carve-out for medical-pot vaping. There’s a bevy of new patients’ rights bills, including Assembly Bill 258, which prevents hospitals from denying organ transplants solely for medical-cannabis use. And Assembly Bill 821, which would give terminally ill patients a sales tax exemption certificate they could use to obtain medical cannabis, sales tax-free. And, of course, there is a smorgasbord of proposed laws that would punish cannabis users.

Vapor is also under fire at the Capitol this session. Senate Bill 305 would enhance prison sentences for the manufacture of concentrated cannabis using flammable solvents such as butane inside a home. Growers would face new civil penalties for illegal dumping of cultivation waste, hazardous materials, illegal timber harvesting and wateruse violations on public and private land, under another bill introduced, Senate Bill 165. “You should care about this,” says Don Duncan with Americans for Safe Access, “because what the Legislature does is going to have an immediate impact on patients. It’s really important to try and shape this process before these bills are adopted, not after.” Ω

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the by daniel barnes

420

Looking back at overLooked ‘stoner fiLms’ that can rescue you from the James franco dregs

T

Frankenheimer’s 1966 film Seconds, a  disturbing masterpiece of paranoia,  disorientation, delusion and distortion, might be slyly stonier than every  Peter Fonda movie put together. Also watch: More paranoia and  delusion in Samuel Fuller’s Shock  Corridor, about a reporter who  chases the Nobel Prize into an insane  asylum.

here’s a great scene in Greenberg where Ben Stiller’s narcissistic Gen X-er bemoans the insensitive sincerity of millennials, a condition he feels is best expressed by their inability to appreciate “great coke music” like Duran Duran. I feel much the same way about contemporary stoner cinema: It makes me sad and discouraged to think that an entire generation has grown up accepting Judd Apatow’s soft-R procreation fantasies as the real deal.

From the Dazed and Confused Era: For

Stoner movies used to be about something: nihilism, rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, farting in vans. Now, it’s just Seth Rogen dancing to hip-hop with his shirt off. The high-as-hell Comedy Central show Broad City blows all of that bromance bullshit away, and the only cinematic stoner comedy of the last decade worth a damn was adapted from Thomas Pynchon. Don’t even get me started on the so-called head trips these days— Christopher Nolan shoots Matthew McConaughey into a black hole and doesn’t even allow him to bring his bongos along. The THC levels are stronger than ever, and the movies are weaker than ever, but the stoner/head-trip movie has a long and storied history. Ever since the earliest silent films, filmmakers have attempted to transport audiences to fantastical BEFORE

issue

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NEWS

Stoner movies used to be about something: nihilism, rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, farting in vans. Now, it’s just Seth Rogen. places, help them visualize the unimaginable, and expand their consciousness, all without leaving their chair. That’s also the essence of a psychedelic experience, so cinema and psychotropic drugs have always gone hand-and-hand. And since we still have another couple of years before Super Troopers 2 comes out, now is a good time to dig out some forgotten nuggets from the discarded roaches of cinema past. From the Reefer Madness era: One  of the most popular songs in jazz  legend Cab Calloway’s repertoire was

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F E AT U R E

STORY

“Reefer Man,” a fast-paced ode to a  guy who seems foggy and distracted  and smells like burnt tea leaves for  some strange reason (“If he trades  you dimes for nickels / And calls  watermelons pickles / Then you know  / You’re talkin’ to that reefer man”).  Calloway performs the song in the  1933 omnibus comedy International  House, and since it’s totally severed  from the film’s scant narrative, the  scene plays like a hallucinatory blackand-white music video, especially  that opening shot of a bug-eyed,  practically zombified bassist who  Cab diagnoses as “sailing” high. The

film is hard to find these days, but it’s  worth the hunt. Also watch: The highly sexualized  kaleidoscopic fantasias of Busby  Berkeley-directed musical sequences  in films like Footlight Parade and 42nd  Street.

From the “Don Draper Got High, Too” Era: Psychedelia was embedded in  the mainstream before the Summer  of Love even started, so many of  the head movies of that time were  frauds perpetrated by squares who  smoked bammer shit, if anything  at all. Nowadays, the Technicolor  outbursts of Vincente Minnelli and  Douglas Sirk, or the hyperaware ids  of Frank Tashlin and Jerry Lewis,  seem a lot more transformative  and transgressive than all the “let’s  make a liquid light show out of an  overhead projector” silliness that  dominated the Mad Men decade. John

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AFTER

many people, the defining stoner  comedy of the 1970s is Up in Smoke,  a ramshackle road movie starring  Cheech and Chong that became one  of the most profitable films ever  made. But there were so many better  counterculture road movies released  in the 1970s, all with superior car  chases, and most with more laughs  than the deeply dated Up in Smoke.  Savor the stony vibes and gnarly  crack-ups of Vanishing Point, Electra  Glide in Blue, Two-Lane Blacktop or  the original 1979 Mad Max instead. Also watch: The bleary-eyed noir  of Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye,  a direct ancestor to the pot-cloud  haze of Inherent Vice. From the Legalization Era:  Godfrey Reggio has been making  thinking person’s head trips ever  since kicking off the “the Qatsi trilogy” in 1982, but his 2014 mind-melter  Visitors inverts the global ecological  focus of those films, centering instead  on our dehumanizing relationship  with personal technology. With no  dialogue and only about 90 intensely  crisp black-and-white images,  Visitors strips the human soul down  to its studs. Call it 2014: The Year We  Lost Contact (With Ourselves [and  Each Other, {Man}]). Also watch: Last year’s barely  released Coherence, a Primer-style  mindfuck about a banal dinner party  that turns metaphysical.       Ω Daniel Barnes is SN&R’s resident film critic. Read his reviews on pages 28 and 29.

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the

420

issue

by blake gillespie

On using medical cannabis instead Of anti-inflammatOry Or Opiate drugs

I

ache from an afternoon on the basketball court at Southside Park. At 31, I’m not too old for this, but it’s no help that my last game was two years ago in a Natomas adult league championship (still proudly display the trophy in my home). My feet swell inside my Nikes, shins burn and knees are like china cups at the crux of two sticks in a balancing act. Of the other burning body parts: my hands from bracing the blacktop impact after a not-so-athletic tumble, my lungs from the jolt in cardio. The traditional sportsmedicine diagnosis would be to rub Tiger Balm or Icy Hot on my affected areas, elevate and ice the knees, and if a “connect” exists, abuse a few prescription painkillers— maybe wash it down with a cold beer. Or, nontraditionally, I could get stoned. Not stoned in the rudimentary, burn-a-blunt to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic (or Chronic 2001 for millennials) sense, but medicinally stoned, utilizing the healing agents of marijuana’s cannabinoids. CBDs for short, cannabinoids are the lesser-known chemical compounds in marijuana that interact with our biochemical system. CBDs being lesser-known plays a role in the misconceptions of marijuana as an anti-inflammatory, since many tests strike out by offering patients THC dabs and tablets. BEFORE

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As Kimberly Cargile of A Therapeutic Alternative, a wellness center in Sacramento, explained, “CBDs do not have psychoactive effects; it’s actually a psycho-deactivator.” She continued: “It reduces the nerve impulses between the nerves, which reduces muscle spasms, anxiety and muscle inflammation.” Because of this growing awareness of marijuana as an anti-inflammatory, A Therapeutic Alternative plans to change its message soon to highlight the center for having the most CBD products in Sacramento. Their menu includes herbs, edibles, capsules, tinctures, oil extracts and waxes. So, for example, I can bite into a Pure CBD Cheeba Chew, knowing it contains 2 milligrams THC and 50 milligrams CBD, maximizing my intake of the ingredient that will go to work on those inflamed shins and knees. Cargile even notes a recent study revealed that smoking or ingesting marijuana after a concussion or muscle injury might actually benefit the athlete. That’s right: The age-old trope of stoners as forgetful goofs is not entirely valid. Harvard University professors are writing impassioned letters to National Football League commissioners. Cargile’s knowledge is largely based upon the findings of Dr. David Allen and Dr. William Courtney, the latter of which has suggested the marrying of marijuana with raw juicing. Michael Backes of the Abatin Wellness Center in

NEWS

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F E AT U R E

Sacramento commented on Courtney’s suggestions in 2012, noting that, yes, it is a nonpsychoactive alternative, but only if the prescribed is juicing the appropriate strain (of which there are only 24 or so in California) and not chewing on the stems, which contain sharp little hairs. So, if you just completed a workout and are planning a post-workout smoothie or protein shake to replenish your body, try blending in the raw leaves or buds of an approved CBD-centric strain (as along as it’s also cleared to be pesticide-free). It’s enough of a hassle that if you have a green card and an organic home garden, then trust yourself to grow the raw smoothie ingredient. Even Cargile conceded that A Therapeutic Alternative is still looking for a grower that can meet the specifications before they’ll offer raw cannabis in the center. As for whether or not you can go about your day as a functioning member of society that sees life beyond hours on the couch watching the Cartoon Network? Cargile says the CBD-focused products do not have sedative qualities, making them conducive to intake during the day without disrupting work or the active life. (Be sure to consult with your doctor on this kind of stuff, of course.) So, is the reefer madness behind us? It’s starting to seem so. And ahead is the opportunity to soothe our pain without the risk of dependency on opiate-based pills.Ω

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the

420

What happens When outlaW industries like marijuana go legit? We are about to find out.

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Florin Perkins Rd

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The biggest clash is usually about intent. To most hardcore activists, the pursuit of money without any sense of social responsibility is a futile pursuit, at best, and a venal pursuit at worst. To the suits, the idea that money isn’t the first and most important concern doesn’t even make sense. Why else would a person start a business unless it was to try to get all of the money they could possibly make by whatever legal means? This disconnect leads to things such as the makers of Sativex (a cannabis derived medicine that is in the medicaltrial phase in many countries) saying they aren’t pro-cannabis legalization, because legal marijuana could impact their ability to make money. As you can imagine, saying this at a cannabis conference to a room full of people that have seen their loved ones sent to prison for possessing and using cannabis doesn’t go over very well. The thing is: Capitalism loves a monopoly and marijuana, by necessity, has always been a decentralized industry. Can these two diametrically opposed systems find common ground? Not yet. A recent attempt by a group of Ohio capitalists The reason to create a cannabis-legalization the cannabis framework that would allow industry only 10 investor groups to be in exists is charge of all of the commercial cannabis cultivation in the state because has been widely condemned people were by most cannabis activists in willing to Ohio. Not only that, the attempt break the to create an oligopoly also has led to a different group trying law in the to get a more fair law passed. pursuit of But will these dual efforts split justice and the vote and dilute the cause? I freedom. suppose we’ll find out this fall. So, what can be done? I emailed Troy Dayton, CEO of the ArcView group, a cannabis investment firm (www.arcviewgroup.com). The gist of our conversation was that activists will have to fight, perhaps harder than ever, for good and fair regulation. “As long as we can fight for legislation that offers a fair stake to everyone in the market, then the market will decide whether it buys from people aligned with its values or not,” he explained. He conceded that the caliber and smarts of the “suits” competing for business in the cannabis industry “are getting much sharper by the second.” “But I know some pretty damn sharp hippies,” he added. Still, the suits have most of the money and connections. They know how to grease the legislators. And they of course want to make sure that they have every tactical advantage, even before the competition in the marketplace begins. It may not be fair, but it is how business works. However, the hippies have an advantage or their own: They are already outlaws. If the suits manage to get laws passed that are inherently unfair, there is no guarantee that the hippies and activists will just mindlessly follow along. The reason the cannabis industry exists is because people were willing to break the law in the pursuit of justice and freedom. Remember, the hippies are the outlaws. Ω

Legal Representation

RECYCLE

Power Inn Rd

s marijuana prohibition slowly but surely becomes a thing of the past, the tensions between the radical activists that started the cannabis-freedom movement and the venture capitalists that are looking to cash in on America s No. 1 growth industry are starting to get bigger.

Howe Ave

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Can I really be denied an organ transplant because I use medical marijuana? —Charles Drew Yes, you can. Marijuana is a Schedule I narcotic, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, so anyone with marijuana in their system can be denied. However, the good folks at Americans for Safe Access are supporting Assembly Bill 258, which BEALUM would allow medical-cannabis users in California by NGAIO to receive new organs. The good news is that the bill has just made it through committee and is moving to a floor vote. Please call write and email your representaa sk420 @ n ewsreview.c om tives and tell them to support it. No one should be denied a chance at a better life because they use cannabis.

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by eddie JORgensen

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The

California Gold Rush hit its peak between 1849 and 1855. Three-hundred-thousand adventurers flocked to America’s West Coast in search of gold. In the early days, gold nuggets were lying around on the ground in plain sight, or were relatively easy to find in gravel beds at the bottom of streams. But later prospectors had to work harder, developing methods to extract the gold from rocks that contained it. One way to detect the presence of the precious metal was through the use of nitric acid, which corroded any substance that wasn’t gold. The term “acid test” refers to that process. I bring this to your attention, Aries, because it’s a good time for you to use the metaphorical version of an acid test as you ascertain whether what you have discovered is truly golden.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The time

between now and your birthday will provide you with excellent opportunities to resolve lingering problems, bring drawn-out melodramas to a conclusion and clean up old messes—even the supposedly interesting ones. You want to know what else this upcoming period will be good for? I’ll tell you: (1) surrendering control-freak fantasies, (2) relieving your backlog of tension, (3) expelling delusional fears that you cling to out of habit and (4) laughing long and hard at the cosmic jokes that have tweaked your attitude.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the

mid-19th century, the entrance exam for the British Royal Navy was quite odd. Some candidates were required to write down the Lord’s Prayer, recite the multiplication table for the number three, get naked and jump over a chair, and drink a glass of sherry. I’m guessing that your own initiation or rite of passage may, at least initially, seem as puzzling or nonsensical as that one. You might be hardpressed to understand how it is pertinent to the next chapter of your life story. And yet I suspect that you will ultimately come to the conclusion—although it may take some time—that this transition was an excellent lead-in and preparation for what’s to come.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 1909,

Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes, a Parisian ballet company that ultimately revolutionized the art form. The collaborative efforts he catalyzed were unprecedented. He drew on the talents of visual artists Picasso and Matisse, composers Stravinsky and Debussy, designer Coco Chanel and playwright Jean Cocteau, teaming them up with top choreographers and dancers. His main goal was not primarily to entertain, but rather to excite and inspire and inflame. That’s the spirit I think you’ll thrive on in the coming weeks, Cancerian. It’s not a time for nice diversions and comfy satisfactions. Go in quest of Ballets Russes-like bouts of arousal, awakening and delight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Don’t ever tame

your demons—always keep them on a leash.” That’s a line from a song by Irish rock musician Hozier. Does it have any meaning for you? Can your personal demons somehow prove useful to you if you keep them wild but under your control? If so, how exactly might they be useful? Could they provide you with primal energy you wouldn’t otherwise possess? Might their presence be a reminder of the fact that everyone you meet has their own demons and therefore deserves your compassion? I suspect that these are topics worthy of your consideration right now. Your relationship to your demons is ripe for transformation—possibly even a significant upgrade.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Will you be

the difficult wizard, Virgo? Please say yes. Use your magic to summon elemental forces that will shatter the popular obstacles. Offer the tart medicine that tempers and tests as it heals. Bring us bracing revelations that provoke a fresher, sweeter order. I know it’s a lot to ask, but right now there’s no one more suited to the tasks. Only you can manage the stern grace that will keep us honest. Only you have the tough humility necessary to solve the riddles that no one else can even make sense of.

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pHOTO BY EvAn duRAn

by ROb

For the week of April 16, 2015

bRezsny

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My message

this week might be controversial to the Buddhists among you. But I’ve got to report the cosmic trends as I see them, right? It’s my sacred duty not to censor or sanitize the raw data. So here’s the truth as I understand it: More desire is the answer to your pressing questions. Passionate intensity is the remedy for all wishy-washy wishes and anesthetized emotions. The stronger your longing, the smarter you’ll be. So if your libido is not already surging and throbbing under its own power, I suggest you get it teased and tantalized until it does.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Karelu is a word from the Tulu language that’s spoken in South India. It refers to the marks made on human skin by clothing that’s too tight. As you know, the effect is temporary. Once the close-fitting garment is removed, the imprint will eventually disappear as the skin restores its normal shape and texture. I see the coming days as being a time when you will experience a metaphorical version of karelu, Scorpio. You will shed some form of constriction, and it may take a while for you to regain your full flexibility and smoothness.

Dylan Phillip (left) and Jeffrey Harris actually want to hear your mixtape.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Georgia is not just an American state. It’s also a country that’s at the border of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Many people who live there speak the Georgian language. They have a word, shemomedjamo, that refers to what happens when you love the taste of the food you’re eating so much that you continue to pile it in your mouth well past the time when you’re full. I’d like to use it as a metaphor for what I hope you won’t do in the coming days: get too much of a good thing. On the other hand, it’s perfectly fine to get just the right, healthy amount of a good thing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

When you’re a driver in a car race, an essential rule in making a successful pit stop is to get back on the track as quickly as possible. Once the refueling is finished and your new tires are in place, you don’t want to be cleaning out your cup holder or checking the sideview mirror to see how you look. Do I really need to tell you this? Aren’t you usually the zodiac’s smartest competitor? I understand that you’re trying to become more skilled at the arts of relaxation, but can’t you postpone that until after this particular race is over? Remember that there’s a difference between the bad kind of stress and the good kind. I think you actually need some of the latter.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Until

the early 20th century, mayonnaise was considered a luxury food, a handmade delicacy reserved for the rich. An entrepreneur named Richard Hellman changed that. He developed an efficient system to produce and distribute the condiment at a lower cost. He put together effective advertising campaigns. The increasing availability of refrigeration helped, too, making mayonnaise a more practical food. I foresee the possibility of a comparable evolution in your own sphere, Aquarius: the transformation of a specialty item into a mainstay, or the evolution of a rare pleasure into a regular occurrence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean

author Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated more than 40 books for children. Midway through his career, his publisher dared him to make a new book that used no more than 50 different words. Accepting the challenge, Seuss produced Green Eggs and Ham, which went on to become the fourth best-selling English-language children’s book in history. I invite you to learn from Seuss’ efforts, Pisces. How? Take advantage of the limitations that life has given you. Be grateful for the way those limitations compel you to be efficient and precise. Use your constraints as inspiration to create a valuable addition to your life story.

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.

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Capital investment Rappers and entrepreneurs Jeffrey Harris—stage name Hennessy—and Dylan Phillip are the two founders of Sacramento’s newest hip-hop collective, Capital City Music. Together, they’ve found that the best way to build credibility for themselves and the artists they serve has been through visibility, both online and on the streets. Both believe every local artist deserves a shot, a chance to be heard and a place among the music community. With their website recently launched, they’re looking to start getting artists involved. They took some time to talk about their organization, what they do to help new artists and how it all got started.

Let’s talk about the organization’s name. Where did it come from? Jeffrey Harris: The name Capital City Music comes from the most lucrative and influential state in the U.S., California. It’s simple enough to be a no-brainer, but a broad enough idea to hopefully reach every capital city.

When did the idea come about and how did you two meet? Dylan Phillip: The idea was started originally in late 2013 shortly after meeting each other at the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony concert. We later shared the stage for a benefit show at Harlow’s raising money for kids with cancer. It was then that we began collaborating on songs and ideas to help others in our region and help catapult our city’s youth to a larger audience.

Give us some background on what you’ve accomplished. Harris: Previous to our upcoming, official company launch, we had established a strong local following and foundation by hitting the |

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streets and doing lots of self-promotion before going public with our new website.

Big picture goals? Harris: Our long-term goal is to provide a platform for artists setting up in every capital city across the United States. The goal is never charging an artist a dollar out of their pocket while still helping them obtain necessary tools and knowledge they can use to succeed in this field.

What services do you offer? Harris: You can find local artists from California’s capital and their music being promoted daily on our website and SoundCloud. Posting songs of the day using the hashtag #CapcitySOD will allow our audience to vote at the end of the month on Twitter for their favorite song. That song, in turn, is played and promoted for another day and we, ultimately, will award the selected artist a five-minute interview and feature them as our #CapcityATM, artist of the month. Nevertheless, our main focus at the moment is our #CapcityFOY, freshman of the year, competition where one rap/hip-hop act and one rock act will be awarded an entire year of promotion. Also, as a bonus any music he/she releases during that year will be promoted through various social media outlets and more.

Middle Tennessee Music Group? What’s the connection there? Phillip: Middle Tennessee Music Group is a major music blog in the state of Tennessee. Some of the founders are helping us get our first Cap City Music chapter extension in Tennessee, so we are already in full stride of making connections out of state. We’ve been working hard to make this a big deal and already having other media outlets wanting to get involved with our ideas just gives us even more encouragement to turn them into a reality. |

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How many artists have used Capital City Music for services? Harris: As of right now, we have not launched or gone public, but we have had over 50 music submissions from local artists, producers and bands.

Any obstacles or haters? Harris: Of course. Obtaining the capital and sponsors to provide these awards and services as well as the time out of our solo careers has been the biggest thus far. Still no hate or opposing opinions. We have yet to receive any. It’s really quite hard to argue with (or be mad at) what we are doing. We are 100 percent unbiased and welcome everyone.

Was this idea modeled after something you saw elsewhere? Harris: Yeah. Watching the Bay Area host a similar formula and foundation, the Bay Area Freshman 10 Awards, for the region’s talents sparked the idea and we just took it from there.

Why is this important? Phillip: We feel it’s necessary to bring positive reinforcement and awareness to the community about our future generation’s talent. We’re doing something not even the pioneers and forefathers before us have done for the area’s music scene. Now that we are the ones younger artists are looking up to, we feel it is our duty to create a nonbiased democratic competition by releasing analysis and statistics from the Freshman of the Year results, which leaves no room for criticism or hard feelings. Ω Check out Capital City Music online at www.capitalcitymusic.biz. It can also be found at www.facebook.com/OfficialCapitalCityMusic or at https://soundcloud.com/capitalcitymusic.

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