Submerge Magazine: 103 (January 30 - February 13, 2012)

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas january 30 – february 13, 2012

Daniel Ellsworth

#103

and the Great Lakes

The Best Band You Might Have Missed

High Hand Foodie Dreams

Come True

Sizzling Sirens good clean dirty fun

matt

rodriguez

The Soul of Skating

+

Man on a Ledge might as well jump

Drum 'n' bass at district 30

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Pregnant

Hits the Bullseye

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ACE OF SPADES • 1417 R STREET • SACRAMENTO • ACEOFSPADESSAC.COM All Ages

2

Tickets Available @ Dimple Records, The Beat, Armadillo (Davis) Online: AceOfSpadesSac.com By Phone: 1.877.GND.CTRL OR 916.443.9202

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

3

103 2012

Submerge: an independently owned entertainment/lifestyle publication available for free biweekly throughout the greater Sacramento area.

contents

10

14 29

24 cofounder/ Editor in Chief/Art Director

Melissa Welliver melissa@submergemag.com cofounder/ Advertising Director

Jonathan Carabba jonathan@submergemag.com senior editor

James Barone Contributing editor

Contributing Writers

Robin Bacior, Corey Bloom, Bocephus Chigger, Anthony Giannotti, Blake Gillespie, Ashley Hassinger, Skylar Mundy, Ryan L. Prado, Steph Rodriguez, Adam Saake, Amy Serna, Jenn Walker Wes Davis, Carolyn Jaime, Skylar Mundy, Nicholas Wray

www.submergemag.com Follow us on Twitter! @SubmergeMag

Submerge your senses The Stream The Optimistic Pessimist Sizzling sirens TONGUE & CHIC High Hand

Daniel Ellsworth

and the Great Lakes

CALENDAR Matt Rodriguez

the grindhouse

29

LIVE<<REWIND

30

the shallow end

Submerge

2308 J Street, Suite F Sacramento, Calif. 95816

916.441.3803 info@submergemag.com

printed on recycled paper

cover photo of matt rodriguez by wes davis

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Dive in

27 28

Contributing photographers

Mandy Johnston

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04 06 08 09 10 14 18 20 24

january 30 february 13

Man on a Ledge

LIVE<<REWIND DJs Hype, Billy Lane, Atom O.N.E., Whores

Pregnant, Books on Tape, Darlingchemicalia

All content is property of Submerge and may not be reproduced without permission. Submerge is both owned and published by Submerge Media.

All opinions expressed throughout Submerge are those of the author and do not necessarily mean we all share those opinions. Feel free to take a copy or two for free, but please don’t remove our papers or throw them away. Submerge welcomes letters of all kinds, whether they are full of love or hate. We want to know what is on your mind, so feel free to contact us via snail mail at 2308 J Street, Suite F Sacramento, Calif. 95816. Or you can e-mail us at info@submergemag.com. cover photo of sizzling sirens by nicholas wray

dive in WHY SO SERIOUS? Melissa welliver melissa@submergemag.com Man, there has gotta be something in the water, because there sure has been a lot of negative energy in the air about the local music scene as of late, specifically on Facebook. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, good for you! No, really, consider yourself lucky!

I wasn’t planning on putting in my two cents on the matter, but you know, I have this little column, I love our music scene, and guess what, I’m going on vacation next week so I’m getting in the mode of not giving a fuck—so let me get this off my chest.

But first, to get into it very briefly, the way I see it people are all worked up over two things: A panel discussion about the “State of Live Music in Sacramento” that happened a couple weeks ago at Time Tested Books and the Friday night Downtown Concerts in the Park series booking/promoting changeup.

First, I can’t believe people are this angry about a discussion.

A discussion! Some are crying about the panelist lineup and who wasn’t included, how they talked too much about the past and how it wasn’t moderated well. Guess what, who fucking cares?!

It was just one discussion. It wasn’t a city council meeting. Did it hurt the music scene or is it going to really change anything?

Can people not get together to talk anymore? Granted I couldn’t even get in (the venue reached capacity quickly) and in a way I was sort of bummed, yet relieved at the same time. But people, for how much hate there was on the interwebs about this one panel discussion, it really makes me sad.

Secondly, people have been all worked up about the change from Jerry Perry booking Downtown Concerts in the Park to a new committee called Play Big Sacramento made up of a group of prominent local promoters and musicians. Rightfully so, Perry has contributed a good 15 years to the series. But people have started taking sides, saying they’re not going to go to the concerts anymore, others are saying Perry shouldn’t have been allowed to book it in the first place. (Wow, really?) Still others are worked up about the committee name, “Play Big.” It’s just a committee name! It’s still called Concerts in the Park, right?

While I personally kind of like this year’s idea of getting a committee of people together to hopefully bring new bands to the table, I really wish Perry could have at least been included in the group, considering his extensive knowledge of the series.

While I don’t know why this wasn’t an option or whether Perry would have even accepted the offer, I frankly don’t care at this point, because it’s not going to change anything. But what I do want to point out here is the big picture: it’s music in the park, it’s local, it’s free! Just because you agree or disagree with what’s happening on the sidelines, don’t make the artists who play suffer while missing out on what could be a great show because you were too stubborn to go.

All-in-all, I do believe people have the right to voice their opinions about why things either suck or why they are great. But there’s a huge difference between being logically frustrated and coming off like a venting, inconsiderate asshole.

There are two sides to every story. Hell, I honestly believe there are three sides to every story (or situation). But what’s done is done; let’s stop the Internet bashing. Perhaps put your energy or frustration into something positive. It will be better for the people around you or your “friends” on Facebook. Or perhaps get off Facebook and read a book, go on a bike ride, go snowboarding or skating, get a hobby. Or fuck it, stay on Facebook, just post a cute picture of your dog or cat instead of complaining all day.

Positive vibes, yo! Ha. OK, OK, this hippy is going on vacation.

Get me to the beach ‘mon!

Now enjoy this issue. There’s lots of local LOVE in here! <3, Melissa-Dubs

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Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

5

Your Senses SEE HEAR TASTE Touch

SEE

Break Dancing at the Breakin’ the Law NorCal Qualifier

By Steve Hamm

TOUCH

Because we understand that a list of Valentine’s-related events is useless to those of you who don’t give a rat’s ass about the day, we are bringing this event to your attention, which is 100 percent Valentine’s Day-free. B-boys and B-girls are gonna duel it out at the Breakin’ the Law NorCal Qualifier, hosted by Sound Samuraiz. Winners get a paid trip to Madison, Wisc., to compete in the Breakin’ the Law elite competition. If you have what it takes, register by posting on the Breakin’ the Law Facebook page or by e-mailing soundsamuraisquad@hotmail.com with your name, crew and hometown. Otherwise, just show up and jam out. Those who jam out in circles will be eligible for prizes. Northstar Zulu DJs Esef and Epik will spin the beats. Doors open at 3 p.m. on Feb. 4, and battles begin at 4:30. Bring $10 to get in, or $5 with an I.D. if you are military or a student, to the Greathouse of Dance at 8117 Auburn Boulevard in Citrus Heights. There is no charge for ages 7 and under.

Hand-made valentines at the Hearts for the Arts benefit event For those who relish the traditional, crafty feel of making valentines (artists, we’re talking to you), go to the Hearts for the Arts benefit event at the Alex Bult Gallery and support a good cause: access to the arts for all Sacramento students. Here’s the twist: organizers of this event are specifically looking for artists, community leaders, and local heroes to do the crafting. If you fit this description, you will have a chance to craft a heart-themed piece of art, or, if your eye is less artistic, you can just decorate a valentine. The finished pieces will be auctioned off at the event. The event goes from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 8 at 1114 21st Street, Suite B. Snacks, refreshments and live music are included. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. If you are a Metro Edge member, then your ticket is $20 in advance.

Call (916) 442-2005 for more information.

Dukes County Love Affair and others at Javalounge For those wanting to do something in the Valentine’s Day spirit but prefer something a little more alternative, check out the Valentine’s Weekend Party. Don’t be misled by the name, it’s just one night of Valentine galore, starting at 8 p.m on Feb. 11 at the Javalounge. So don’t miss it. Hear Dukes County Love Affair from New England (chances are if you like the Raconteurs or Devil Makes Three, you will enjoy this band), Gravys Drop from the Bay Area (select members from Traditional Fools, Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Teenage Harlets and Rock ‘n’ Roll Adventure Kids/No Bunny playing oldies rock ‘n’ roll) and rad local punkers The Croissants.

Don’t worry, it’s just a coincidence that both of the latter band names sound like food. The show is $5 and all ages. Javalounge is at 16th Street and Broadway.

6

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

The Croissants

Dukes County Love Affair

HEAR

TASTE

THE MYSTERY with The Sacramento Theatre Company This has absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s Day, either; but there are only 120 seats available, so we wanted to give our loyal readers ample time to buy tickets if this sounds like your thing. The Sacramento Theatre Company is holding A Night of Mystery, Music and Mayhem. So when was the last time you had a chance to dine in the fine company of Inspector Clouseau? Dick Tracy? Right, well this is your chance! An STC actor portraying Clouseau, Tracy, Sam Spade or Sherlock Holmes will be dining at each table. You get to request the detective of your choice, one per table, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Submerge wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the Clouseau table is utter chaos, so be on your toes! Again, your fun goes to another great cause: proceeds will benefit both STC and the STC School of the Arts. It’s all happening on Feb. 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Solomon Dubnick Gallery on 1021 R Street.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Thursday, February 2

Tuesday, February 21

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Jonathan Carabba Send regional news tips to info@submergemag.com

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INSTAGON CELEBRATES 19 YEARS OF MAKING NOISE ON FEB. 2 AT OLD I // JACK AND WHITE EP RELEASE AT HARLOW’S ON FEB. 11

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Photo by Dennis Scott

Friday, February 3

The stream

Sacramento-based garage jazz/noise outfit Instagon is celebrating 19 years of causing a ruckus on Thursday, Feb. 2 at Old Ironsides.

Started by lead bass player Lob back in 1993 in Fullerton, Calif., Instagon has seen nearly 600 members come and go over the years, which is just the way Lob likes it. “It just kind of evolved this way,” he told Submerge of the ever-changing group of musicians. “The name kind of took on the persona, the persona kind of took on the name. It just naturally manifested itself into being what it is, it’s pretty organic and weird.”

Chances are you’ll never see Instagon with the same lineup twice (hence the name Instagon, get it?). Lob is always on the hunt for new musicians to play with, and he says that ever since relocating to Sacramento in late 2004, he’s had a plethora of talent to choose from. “That number has really jumped in the last two years, because like almost every show I involve a new player. I want to reach out with my virus and touch more people,” Lob joked. “Instagon is like the mistress band, you know? It’s the band you cheat on your band with. There’s no practice involved, there’s no drama, it’s like just show up, we’re going to make it happen. It’s really fun.”

Lob pointed out that as the only steady member, he feels bass is the perfect instrument to lead the group with. “You can really direct the tone and the feeling and the energy of a performance by controlling the low end,” he said, elaborating on how good he’s gotten at going with the flow after playing with so many different musicians. Drummers especially. “I’ve played with well over 100 drummers, there’s not much that a drummer is going to throw at me that’s going to surprise me.” The Feb. 2 show kicks off at 8 p.m., is 21-and-over with a $5 cover charge and will feature Chikading! and Dino Piranha as openers. It will be Instagon’s 597th performance to date, and with an impressive lineup of local talent set to back Lob up (including two drummers!), this will be an Instagon set you won’t want to miss. For more information and up-to-date stats on how many shows they’ve played, how many players he’s gigged with and how many venues Instagon has visited, check out Instagon.com.

Sacramento native Jack Matranga and exAmerican Idol starlet Brooke White (together known as Jack and White) recently released their second EP entitled Winter and will be celebrating with a show at Harlow’s on Saturday, Feb. 11. Submerge caught up with Matranga the morning after they had played a packed show at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. “Last night was good,” he said. “Probably the biggest crowd I’ve ever played for at the Hotel Cafe.” Not surprising considering how quickly Jack and White are building a name for themselves with their Gemini EP, released in August 2011, and now this equally impressive and infectous offering. When our conversation turned toward the Winter EP, Matranga pointed out that “it was a bam, bam kind of thing” toward the end of the process.

“Literally one week before it came out, we got the masters, and it sounded great.” They took the tracks, which were self engineered, self-produced and self-mixed in White’s living/dining room over a five- to six-week period, to Bernie Grundman’s studio to get mastered, the final step before releasing the music into the world. “It’s one of the best, most renowned mastering studios,” Matranga said of the legendary facility. Of the finished material, “It’s nice and warm-sounding,” he added.

The gig at Harlow’s will be your last chance to see Jack and White in Sacramento for many months as White is expecting a baby at the end of May. Just because White is pregnant doesn’t mean they won’t still be productive though, that’s not Jack and White’s style. “I’m assuming during April we’re going to be trying to finish up the recordings for our next EP,” Matranga said. “Hopefully going to be out before the summertime.” For now, download Winter from iTunes and check them out live on Feb. 11. Show starts at 10 p.m., is 21-and-over and there’s an $8 cover charge. Opening the show will be Gerald Pease (ex-Bucho). Learn more about Jack and White by visiting Jackandwhite.com.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The Optimistic Pessimist Slaves to Technology Bocephus Chigger bocephus@submergemag.com I’d never realized how reliant I had become on her. She was my map, my wallet, my entertainment, my friends and my family.

It’s no wonder her maker had named her Incredible. It had been barely a year ago that she had slain Storm, my previous companion.

She seemed quiet at first, but I soon learned how to push her buttons and make her sing.

We grew close over the course of that year; close enough that I divulged private information to her. I told her about my friends and family and where they lived. I showed her pictures I had taken and let her listen to my music. She knew almost everything about me, which is probably why it hurt so bad when he took her away.

Tricknology was no friend of mine. Too often he had said he could make my life easier only to bring my world crashing down around me. He had been the one to introduce me to Incredible, and he did a great job of selling her to me. He had said that Storm was too fat, too slow and too friendless to ever serve my needs properly. Incredible was svelte and nimble and seemed to know everyone. It was “a match made by the Gods,” he said.

He saw how much I desired Incredible and told me that she could be mine for a small down payment and a promise to be faithful for two years. He would collect the rest of his fee in one year. I paid the dowry and signed the contract to make Incredible my own.

I clothed Incredible to protect her from bumps, spills and scratches. I took her with me wherever I went. We spent time just getting to know each other. She became familiar with my voice while I taught her about the world. All the while, I protected her from Trojan horses and malicious soothsayers. I even shielded her from pornography and celebrity name searches. And not once did I allow her to answer pleas for help from Nigeria. Yet, in the end, all of my protection was for naught.

After one year of wedded bliss, Tricknology returned to exact the rest of his fee, only it wasn’t money he wanted. He wanted to take away all that I had shown Incredible. I refused to turn her over to Tricknology, but it was no use. One evening,

as Incredible rested snugly in her cradle, Tricknology snuck into my castle and spirited her life force away.

In his infinite wisdom, Tricknology decried that my Incredible had sucked from the information teat for long enough. I pleaded, “I’ve nary had her for one cycle round the sun! Please, sir…just give me until the end of my contract!” Tricknology pondered my request for a nanosecond before sending Incredible to Valhalla.

As some sort of cruel joke, Tricknology left the body of Incredible there, though her soul was clearly gone. With her soul went everything I asked her to remember for me: the names, addresses and phone numbers of the people I love; the pictures we took together; all those damn games of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope we played…all of it, gone forever.

I carried her once vibrant, but now brick-like body to the local shaman, Verizon, but he was no help. Verizon explained that the memories I shared with Incredible were irretrievable. It was as if they never existed. I could hear Tricknology’s sinister laugh in the back of my mind. There was nothing else to do but to find a replacement.

The newer models were beautiful but proved far too costly. Verizon must have sensed my discomfort, as he soon asked if I might be interested in purchasing a slightly more broken in model. He introduced me to a stout, but quick, lad, who went by the name of Thunderbolt. Verizon told me that Thunderbolt had been taught the art of the 4G, which made him much quicker at hunting and gathering. For the price, he seemed my best option, so I made him mine.

In the end, Thunderbolt and Incredible aren’t that different; they even have some of the same annoying habits. Thunderbolt knows how much I miss Incredible and he understands that our time together is only temporary. He stays with me, because he is as much my slave as I am his. We are bound together…inseparable until my contract expires again.

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SubmergeMag.com

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

9

School of Va-Va-Voom 10

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

RESTaURaNT & NIghT clUB

2708 J Street • Sacramento 916.441.4693 • Harlows.com

The Wood broThers

TUESDAY

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Sizzling Sirens teach Sacramento how to shake it

FEB 10

10PM $20Adv

SATUrDAY

FEB 11

Words Steph Rodriguez • PHotos nicholas wray

S

ilky bustiers, black feather boas, strings of pearls and a random pair of motorcycle handlebars made of PVC pipe are painted silver and lay on the floor. A gold vintage sofa rests near two racks lined with handmade costumes, including bras stitched with imitation cash and coins. Beneath a clutter of buttons, jewelry and a tower of sewing knick-knacks appears to be a desk—a typical day at the office, if you’re a Siren. This is the headquarters of Sacramento’s only active burlesque troupe, the Sizzling Sirens, a team of 10 women ranging in ages 19 to 43 years old, each radiating with a flare that is uniquely her own.

A little vaudeville filled with theatrical satire and brought to life with provocative striptease and choreographed dance numbers defines burlesque entertainment in the simplest terms. But when Jay Siren founded the company in March 2008, she envisioned this classic genre of performance art with a couple modern alterations.

Siren started teaching her first round of classes at The Press Club later that year, eventually gaining more students and at the same time finding some of the first members of Sizzling Sirens.

Since its infancy in 2008, the Sirens have built a reputation within the local music scene and around town by performing alongside bands like Agent Ribbons and Goodness Gracious Me in addition to corporate parties and events. What’s more, the gals now have a regular live show each month at Harlow’s centered around a theme, and if they ever need a live band, they turn to the veteran jazz musicians of the Harley White Jr. Orchestra for support.

“I think the greatest misconception about burlesque that we run into all the time is, ‘Where’s the pole?’” explains Jay, her offthe-shoulder black T-shirt revealing tattooed leaves spreading down

SubmergeMag.com

7PM $15

SATUrDAY her right shoulder. “For us, burlesque is burlesque-fusion. The way that we do it is a little bit different than the way that you see most burlesque presented nowadays. We take elements of everything that we love about the culture, genre and history and make it our own, mixing past and future ideas. A striptease is part of it, but in the sense of using your costume as a tool to engage your audience as though it were a prop.”

Since moving the Sizzling Sirens troupe into a gray, Victorian building on J Street last April, an idea to form a Performance Series of classes, catering to those interested in learning the art of burlesque with the opportunity to perform alongside the Sirens, was created.

Indiana Bones, Georgia Fire and Sass Herass are all present during this afternoon’s Burlesque 101 class, a one-hour introduction course into the Sirens’ world of burlesque-fusion open to the public.

Each woman planted on the wooden floor of the small dance studio routinely stretches her legs and arms before claiming her space, waiting to warm up with the day’s basics.

“Alright Sass, teach us some class,” says Jay clapping her hands together like an athlete ready for the next play.

Herass, wearing hot pink spanks that read, “Dance all night,” across her bum, complete with black fishnets, tall black boots and a tilted fedora, is the instructor leading the workshop this week.

Ginuwine’s “Pony” blares from the studio’s sound system and the Sirens begin loosening their hips in a circular motion to the music. Each woman follows Herass’ lead as she keeps time out loud through the steps of the warm up. Now with Etta James’ continued on page 12

>>

FEB 11

NOT AN AirPlANE

STEEliN’ DAN JACK AND WhiTE

10PM $8

(feat. Brook White from americaN idol)

FEB 12

SUNDAY

ClOSE TO YOU

TUESDAY

valeNtiNes day W/

(the music of the carpeNter’s)

7PM $15

FEB 14

ViViaN lee

WEDNESDAY

STOrM lArgE

5PM

FEB 15 7PM $10

EVErY ThirD ThUrSDAY Feb 16 • 8PM

(of piNk martiNi)

the sizzliNg sireNs Burlesque shoW

COMING SOON Feb 15 Feb 17 Feb 17 Feb 18 Feb 18 Feb 19 Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 24 Feb 28 Feb 29 mar 3 mar 5 mar 6 mar 8

camp Lo (10pm) cash’d out (7pm) arden Park roots (10pm) Dean-o-Holics (7pm) musical charis (10pm) Fred eaglesmith G.Love & Special Sauce Joel the Band & 25 tainted Love the Growlers Lagwagon (aLL aGeS!) alasdair Fraser w/ natalie Haas Blitzen trapper Gappy ranks Ivan neville’s Dumpstaphunk

VIP BOOTHS AVAILABLE CONTACT CLUB FOR DETAILS

Call: 916.441.4693x19 Email: reservations@harlows.com

mar 9 mar 10 mar 10 mar 17 mar 18 mar 20 mar 22 mar 25 mar 30 apr 5 apr 6 apr 7 apr 14 apr 17 Jun 24

Howlin rain w/ the Soft White Sixties George Kahumoku Jr. (6pm) midnight Players (10pm) Girlyman Umphrey’s mcGee cheryl Wheeler mykal rose Western Lights tom rigney & Flambeau fIreHoSe Jeanette Haris mazzy Star thomas Dolby Yonder mountain String Band muriel anderson

BISTRO MENU AVAILABLE DURING EARLY SHOWS 6-10PM

caLL For reServatIonS Includes cover charge For most Shows

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

11

“One of our biggest things that we try to reiterate is to honor your spirit and your character.

It’s something that I think is really important, especially with women, we are made to feel like we are supposed to fit one cookie cutter mold and burlesque is about taking what you have and accentuating it. We’re not trying to hide, or diminish anything, just being proud of who you are and what your body is and just adoring yourself. And, that’s something that I’d really like to share with everybody else.”

– Sass Herass, Sizzling Sirens

“W.O.M.A.N” changing the mood of the workshop within the small Midtown space, the four slowly bend forward to stroke the frames of their shapely legs with both hands before gracefully lifting their arms in the air like ballerinas. Using one hand, the Sirens trace the outlines of their faces, then across their chests and eventually following the curves of their bodies. Every move the same, yet differently interpreted through the personality of each Siren.

The newest member to the troupe, Fire, watches her moves in the mirror, her limbs naturally following the flow of the lesson as Bones practices pinup faces while dancing, her short red hair ornamented with a big, white bow. Jay’s once straight black locks begin to curl as the warm-up progresses, sweat glistens down her throat as she attacks each move full out. Herass, who has taught dance over five years, emanates hip-hop in each move she teaches.

“One of our biggest things that we try to reiterate is to honor your spirit and your character,” Herass says. “It’s something that I think is really important, especially with women, we are made to feel like we are supposed to fit one cookie cutter mold and burlesque is about taking what you have and accentuating it. We’re not trying to hide, or diminish anything, just being proud of who you are and what your body is and just adoring yourself. And, that’s something that I’d really like to share with everybody else.”

12

Through the classes Sizzling Sirens hold every week, whether its Burlesque 101, Cardio Burlesque (which is exactly how it sounds), or the Performance Series, the Sirens believe any and everyone, with the right instructor, can learn everything from how to properly shimmy to how to incorporate props into the steps, adding a personal tease to the routine.

“I would like to stress that most people come in with absolutely no theater or dance experience and they have a blast. You seriously do not have to have any dance experience to enjoy the classes. Literally, everything is all-levels. You can walk in, gain an understanding and find a challenge and enjoy it. Truly, you can enjoy this without ever having done it before,” explains Jay, fanning herself at the close of class.

And it’s true according to Fanny Coquette, a 43-year-old Siren joining the cast last August, who took her first class with Sizzling Sirens on a dare from her husband and looks forward to February’s “Good, Clean, Dirty Fun”-themed performance at Harlow’s.

“It’s just fun. It’s fun to step outside of who I am and be 100 percent who I am,” explains Coquette. “When you get older and have a family and have a regular job, there aren’t very many venues to push that line of ‘I don’t care what you think of me.’ So, it’s a great venue to relax and have fun and not worry about what other people think.”

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Together Sizzling Sirens witnessed members from the first cast come and go, but have continued to grow in numbers as well as expand their reputation outside of Sacramento, performing at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco during its monthly Hubba Hubba Revue series, named one of the Top 10 Burlesque Shows to see around the world by the Travel Channel.

“I’ve never seen a group of 10 women get along and support each other creatively and emotionally,” says Jay. “Through the process of burlesquing together and learning how to create together, we’ve all become friends.”

Sizzling Sirens Burlesque is located at 2419 1/ 2 J Street. Hour-long Burlesque 101 and Peel and Reveal classes are taught on Sundays (at 1 and 2:30 p.m. respectively). Cardio Burlesque is taught Tuesdays from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. For more info on their Performance Series Workshop, go to Sizzlingsirensburlesque.com. If you prefer to watch the girls in action, check them out at Harlow’s for their “Good, Clean, Dirty Fun”-themed performance on Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. 21-and-over only. You can also catch the Sirens the first Friday of every month for Fishnet Fridays at Dive Bar.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

friday, march 2

Ace of spAdes concerts p r e s e n t s At

the BoArdwAlk 9 4 2 6 G r e e n bac k • O r a n G e va l e

ALL SHOWS ALL AGES

T h e B o a r d wa l k

wednesday, march 7

9426 Greenback • OranGevale

sunday, march 25

The TickeTs available @ Dimple recOrDs, The beaT, armaDillO(Davis), TickeTs.cOm, musicTODay.cOm, bOarDwalkrOcks.cOm, bOarDwalk bOx Office, aceOfspaDessac.cOm, 1.877.GNd.CTrl or 916.443.9202

Passafire eazy Dub T h e B o a r d wa l k

9426 Greenback • OranGevale

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T h e B o a r d wa l k

9426 Greenback • OranGevale

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

13

read often. your brain will thank you.

TONGUE & chic

Let us take you home tonight.

A Full House High Hand

3750 Taylor Road, Loomis, Calif. words Adam Saake photos carolyn Jaime

444-2222 1815 19th st. sacramento

OPEN TUES-SAT 11-11 bowscollective.com

TUE jAN 31 (8Pm)

fri fEb 10 (8Pm)

GGreen, Woollen Kits (AUS), Woolen Men (PDX)

Ganglians, Majesty, Zodiac Death Valley

LIVE MUSIC

wEd fEb 1 (8Pm)

fri fEb 15 (8Pm)

LIVE MUSIC ConCer tS4ChArity PreSentS

talkdemonic, two Sheds, Fine Steps

fri fEb 3 (6Pm)

art opEnIng

VIdEo SCrEEnIng & pErforManCE art everything is terrible & MoM

fri fEb 17 (8Pm)

Permabond works by Liz Donner & Sarah Schere

14

LIVE MUSIC

hoodEd CapE faShIon Show

W

hen I dream of my ideal food paradise, my imagination takes me to a place where the source of all my ingredients is walking distance from my table. My salad is picked fresh from the raised beds and the cheese I crumble on top is from the goats or the sheep that graze in the pasture adjacent. My beef is from cows I raise and my wine is from grapes I grow. I’ve even taken this fantasy to include a small brewery and distillery so that I may enjoy my homemade beer and whiskey. I just love the idea of knowing where everything I put in my body comes from and furthermore, knowing that I had a hand in its genesis.

Alright, back to life. I share this paradise with you (I’ve come a long way since my Hook fantasy where I eat with Peter and the Lost Boys), because there are restaurants, near and far, that either lightly or fully subscribe to this same idea. Whether they are growing their vegetables, gathering their eggs and slaughtering their meat or working with local purveyors, more and more places are getting with a standard of proximity. It’s to the point where frankly it will be completely unnecessary to even write the words “organic,” “seasonal” or “local” on menus as it will be a given if your reputation precedes you.

But Sacramento and surrounding area restaurants aren’t quite doing what High Hand Nursery and Conservatory is bringing to the table. Your table, to be exact. Every day, Chef Shane Doyle walks out to the 20-some-odd wooden raised beds that line the edge

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

of the nursery and picks what lettuces and veggies he needs for the day’s menu; the ultimate in freshness. Wild arugula, Freckles lettuce, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Broccoli Rapini and Detroit Dark Red Beet are among the garden and, depending upon what season it is, there are numerous other vegetables growing too. The lush salads on their lunch menu (11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Friday) are testament to this, and the flavors of each vegetable shine and speak for themselves.

Upon our visit, the beet and blood orange salad with watercress, fennel and Sierra Nevada goat’s milk feta cheese jumped out at first glance and when it arrived, mouths fell silent as we crooned over the colors and crispness; the simple freshness and quality. Beautiful orange beets that tasted straight from the ground and perky watercress tossed with shaved fennel contrasted starkly next to the solar brightness of the multi-colored blood oranges. The feta crumble added a touch of creaminess and weight, balancing out what was one of the best and most memorable salads I’ve had to date.

The 1-acre property off Taylor Road in Loomis, Calif., that spans two city blocks, is a converted and preserved fruit shed dating back to 1901 when it was called the High Hand Fruit Growers Association. It is now home to an art gallery, sewing and fiber arts shop, a rug company and an area winery’s tasting room, among others. Owner Scott Paris acquired the property in 2004, and with a big vision and a commitment to heritage, began and continues to build what you see today. High Hand is the original name and even the logo, a classic example of early fruit crate label art, remains the same and gives High Hand it’s old-time appeal. These are just first impressions, though, because what’s happening inside, on the roof and all around is far from dated. Newly installed solar panels Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SHOWS AT SAC STATE

SPONSORED BY UNIQUE PROGRAMS FOR MORE INFO VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL 278–6997

WWW.SACSTATEUNIQUE.COM TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE SACRAMENTO STATE BOX OFFICE OR TICKETS.COM NOONER

LECTURE

MUSICAL CHARIS

AN EVENING WITH BYRON HURT

WED • FEB 1 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

THUR • FEB 2 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

FREE: Fun folk rock & roll concert.

FREE: Lecture exploring the impact of sexism, racism, violence & homophobia in hip-hop & American culture.

NOONER

STAGE

EARLY STATES

reflecting the January sun are checkered across the roof of the main building. Paris speaks about them like a teenager with a new electric guitar.

“That’s 125 kilowatts of power up there. It’s a big system, and we’re not done yet,” says Paris.

The cafe itself has a solar radiant floor, not to mention that it’s a converted greenhouse with two giant rotating fans at the height of the ceiling and rollup doors leading to an outdoor kitchen on the patio. A large grill is used for barbecue and roasts and, best of all, there is a wood fire oven where all the pizzas are cooked. If you’re seated outside, you can watch them being made, or the view through the rollup doors works too. We tried the rotisserie chicken with fresh basil and arugula pesto and were not disappointed. The thin-crust pizzas with house-made pizza dough are first rolled out in course flour that gives the crust a great texture. The smoke of the oven comes out in the cheese and chunks of rotisserie chicken add to the flavors and work nicely with the pesto.

High Hand’s not a kept secret. After our arrival at 11 a.m., the café filled up with a lively lunchtime crowd. I counted over 15 tables with four or more guests ordering pizzas and sandwiches and taking advantage of our warm January. Others were wandering the nursery that is spaced out between the sheds and the café.

It’s chock full of succulents, trees and ornamentals along with other standard greenery for the landscapers and hobbyists.

Statues and small sculptures are scattered throughout; wind chimes of various sizes, including a massive black one, hang about and sympathetically ring.

Paris has built quite a site with lots to see, touch and taste and he isn’t finished yet. There are still projects at hand, including a no-waste zone for his entire property.

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“We’re going to build a no-waste zone here so that none of our stuff actually hits a landfill,” says Paris.

A sign will notify you when you’re entering and exiting the High Hand no-waste zone, and their website will feature a section that breaks down how they are doing it and where all the waste, such as food scraps, paper and oils, is going to.

“As a nursery and as a garden center, we’re pretty committed to being green. That’s the direction we’re going,” says Paris proudly.

Committed is the key, and Paris has a commitment to the community in mind as well with his new project called Maple Rock Gardens. The newly acquired, 35-year-old estate garden that spans 35 acres and includes a 4.5-acre botanical garden, will be the site for an even larger vegetable garden that will supply the café and Chef Doyle. A lot of veggies can be grown on 30 acres and Paris isn’t taking them to farmer’s market or selling them wholesale; he’ll be donating them to those in need.

“It’s actually cheaper to give it away and donate it and that has more of a lasting effect than whatever you’re going to make at a farmer’s market,” says Paris. “So it just really comes down to, what’s the smarter thing to do? I think in our case, it’s going to be to donate it to the local food shelters.”

Whether you’re a gardener, food fanatic or daytripper extraordinaire, High Hand is a destination that will please. Where else can you leave with a rug, a bottle of wine, a cactus or two and full stomach and feel good about yourself for doing it all? This may be your dream come true.

WED • FEB 8 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

THUR • FEB 9 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

FREE: Pop concert.

Stage production based on Eve Ensler’s monologues with real women exploring intimacy, vulnerability & sexual self-discovery.

Tickets: $5 for Sac State students & $10 general

SPECIAL EVENT

NOONER

AN EVENING WITH TOM DELUCA

AUTUMN SKY

THUR • FEB 16 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

WED • FEB 22 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

FREE: Hypnotist show.

FREE: Folk indie rock concert.

CONCERT

BREATHE CAROLINA THUR • MAR 8 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM • TICKETS: $12 FOR SAC STATE STUDENTS & $17 GENERAL Electro-pop rock concert plus special opening guests.

CONCERT

CONCERT

FUN.

HIEROGLYPHICS

MON • MAR 26 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

THUR • MAY 3 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

Indie rock concert plus opening guests.

Tickets: $10 for Sac State students & $15 general

Hip-hop concert featuring Souls of Mischief, Pep Love, Casual, Domino & DJ Toure, plus special guests Sleeprockers Tickets: $10 for Sac State students & $15 general

The University Union Gallery –PRESENTS–

RESOLUTION_

KELLY CORDERO, JULIE DIDION, & LISA FERNALD BARKER offer their new year’s aspirations through painting & sculpture

MONDAY, JANUARY 23 — THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 RECEPTION: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, FROM 6–8PM GALLERY HOURS: Monday—Friday: 10:30am–3:30pm, + special evening hours: Wednesday & Thursday: 5–8pm LOCATION: University Union Gallery, 2nd floor, Sac State 6000 J Street, Sacramento, 95819. Call 916-278-6997 for info.

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

15

1417 R STREET

all Shows all ages

SaCRaMEnTO Tickets available @ dimple Records, The Beat, armadillo (davis) Online: aceOfSpadesSac.com

By Phone: 1.877.Gnd.CTRL OR 916.443.9202

February 19

S U n day

(Chino from deftones and Shaun Crosses from Far’s new band)

W E d n E S day

February 8

S U n day

February 12

Secret empire • rOSy crOSS Dawn GOlDen

F R I day

Pacific Dub Official ResPOnse element Of sOul stReet uRchinz

T U E S day

February 3

February 21

Oh Sleeper • Skip the FOreplay Paint OveR PictuRes

T h U R S day

SaT U R day

February 4

February 9

February 13

M O n day

F R I day Plus sPecial Guests

the cOmmunity

F R I day

February 10

February 24

white minORities Gary BuSy amBer alert

F R I day

February 17

repreSa • chernOBOG bell tOweR sniPeR Fair StruGGle • nekrOcySt

S U n day

16

February 5

SaT U R day

February 11

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

SaT U R day

February 18

SaT U R day

February 25

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Pacific citi

J Boog T h U R S day

est. mmiv

March 1

W E d n E S day

March 20

T U E S day

april 18

W E d n E S day

March 14

Dance Gavin Dance T h U R S day OveRwatch the winteR fORmal

SaT U R day

Plus sPecial Guests

bOGGan

March 3

T h U R S day

21+ free

the

W E d n E S day

april 19

March 21

March 15

cheeseballs april 25

W E d n E S day S U n day

W E d n E S day

March 7

March 25

ST PaTRICk’S day CELEBRaTIOn SaT U R day March 17 SaT U R day T h U R S day

april 28

March 29

Plus sPecial Guests

lOS rakaS

F R I day

March 9

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M O n day

March 19

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March 30

T U E S day

May 8

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

17

Digital / Analog Daniel Ellsworth and the Great

Lakes’ old school approach yields new school success Words James Barone

F

or better or worse, the digital music age has leveled the playing field. Independent, more or less unknown bands and artists have just as much opportunity to be heard as major label acts. One band that has taken advantage of this is Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes from Nashville, Tenn.

In May 2011, the band released its first full-length album, Civilized Man. Fan-funded, Ellsworth and company used money from a Kickstarter campaign they started at the end of 2010 to self-produce and self-release the album and hire notable Nashville sound engineer Mark Nevers, who has worked with Yo La Tengo, Andrew Bird and Bonnie Prince Billy. Despite being 100 percent DIY, according to the band’s singer/songwriter and namesake Daniel Ellsworth, he and his Great Lakes’ labor of love didn’t go unnoticed.

Civilized Man cracked Amazon’s Top 100 albums of 2011 (landing at No. 76; including No. 66 on the site’s Outstanding 2011 Albums You Might Have Missed list), and the song “Shoe Fits” climbed all the way up to No. 7 on Amazon’s The Best Songs of 2011 list. Not bad for a band you most likely haven’t heard of—yet.

“For some [artists] like Jay-Z or people like that, they probably don’t think about the Amazon Top 100, but for us that’s huge,” Ellsworth says. Coincidentally, Ellsworth and the Great Lakes edged past the megastar rapper on The Best Songs of 2011 list. Jay-Z’s “Niggas in Paris” (from Watch the Throne) landed at No. 8 on the list.

“Amazon and iTunes are becoming tastemakers for people,” Ellsworth continues. “In the past it was record stores, but now it’s online record stores.”

Ironically, Civilized Man is more of a throwback album, not at all exemplary of the single-driven releases of the digital age. At 12 tracks and over an hour in length, the album feels like the grand pop/rock long players of old. Imbued with a solid groove and a warm sound, Civlized Man begs you to shut off the shuffle play for once and to be ingested en masse.

“I think that our favorite bands, and the bands that are making the most interesting music, are still focusing on making a really solid album,” Ellsworth says. “People tell us that you could listen to 1, 5, 12, in that order, and it feels like they could come from different albums, but if you listen to it all the way through from start to finish, it feels like an intentional album, and it feels like it was meant to be listened to in that order. That’s how my favorite albums are, and I think that’s what we strive for.”

Submerge spoke with Ellsworth while he and the band had a couple days off in Nashville before heading out on a jam-packed string of dates that would take them to the Pacific coast and back. In the following interview, we discuss working with Nevers, Ellsworth’s appearance on the NBC reality television show The Sing Off and how the singer/songwriter found his voice in the band dynamic.

18

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Did Mark Nevers contribute a lot of ideas when it came to recording?

A little bit. We sort of came in wanting to produce it more ourselves and call the shots as to what would end up on the record. What he contributed, and what I most love and know about him, is the sounds he captures on albums.

The way he’s able to capture a warm, organic sound. What we do is a little bit different than who he usually works with, but we wanted to take that sound, that warm, organic vibe, and apply it to our more rock/pop material.

Listening to the album, I was thinking that it really feels like a live album. It seems very spontaneous.

Were a lot of things done in one take?

That was something that we tried for. We tried to do as much of it live as we could. It’s interesting.

I like when people listen to that and take that from the album, because we get a lot of people— and maybe that’s to our drummer’s credit—that say we use tracks, or electronic stuff, but 90 percent of what you hear on the album was tracked live.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Do you feel with the first album released that things are falling into place? Do you feel like you know where you want to go with the next record?

Yeah, I guess the last year and a half with making the album and working on these songs as a band has been a whole new process. I left for a few months to do a television show and to come back from that and have a new guitar player and come back to these songs and take them on the road, the songs have taken on a new life and a new energy. It’s never felt more like a band than it does now. It’s exciting every time we play, we get more excited about the next time we’re going to play.

Is this kind of touring schedule new for you guys?

It’s definitely new from a band standpoint.

We’ve done some small-scale stuff while we were working on this material. Prior to that, I was doing more of a solo artist thing, which is completely different. It just wasn’t the right thing…

It took me doing that to get to this point. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. This is how I always imagined it.

What is it about being a part of a band that works for you more than being a solo artist?

I think doing the solo artist thing, and being in Nashville and being just out of music school, I was writing to mimic something… It was less original. It never felt like the right thing, and I was all over the place stylistically. I always would imagine things with a band or imagine how much better it would be to have a band to bounce ideas off of. I think that’s the thing, having these people who you trust to bounce ideas off of and really fuse everyone’s different influences into making something that takes on a life of its own as opposed to me sitting down by myself and trying to come up with something.

Nashville is a big country songwriter kind of place. Was that what you were trying to do when you were out of school?

Yeah, a little bit of that. Not so much in the country scene, but I thought maybe my place was in the pop singer/songwriter scene out of Nashville.

But my songs were never singer/songwriter-y, pop-y enough. They were a little too weird for that, but not weird enough that they really felt original or truly mine in a weird sort of way.

I wanted to ask you about The Sing Off. You were there with a group called The Collective. What was that experience like?

That was kind of crazy. A friend of ours who’s an artist in Nashville named Jeremy Lister, he was on the show. He was in the group called Street Corner Symphony that got second place in season two. He sort of approached us and said, “Hey, the producers of the show thought it would be cool to get some of my favorite Nashville artists and put together a group who have never done a capella before and sort of see what happens.” We

were all pretty skeptical. Some of us had sung a capella before, mostly back in high school in choir, but certainly we hadn’t sung together as a group. We all knew of each other, but most of us didn’t know each other. We did a few hours of rehearsing and singing, and it sounded really good… We made a video of it and sent it off to the producers, and the very next day they were like, “We love it. We want you guys on the show.”

It was literally last minute. A few weeks after that, we were on a plane to Los Angeles like, “What the hell are we doing?”

There was another guy in the group who has a rock band similar to what we do, so far from a capella music, and everyone else were successful singer/songwriters. It was so far out of the box for everybody to take that on, but we went out there.

It sounds silly to say, but episode one of The Sing Off was our first performance as an a capella group ever, aside from making our audition tape.

All things considered, we all went out there and dove right into it and figured out how we worked musically and how we best arranged together. We made it to eighth place. We got six episodes into the season [season three].

Was it a positive experience?

Yeah it was. I don’t know if it’s something I’d ever do again. It was certainly never my plan to do a reality show, and definitely not an a capella at that. But it was a really great experience. There was a lot of talent on that show. You know, you have the bullshit that goes along with the TV side of things and what they’re trying to do, but the music director and the music team on that show, they were so dedicated to the music. That was cool to see.

We would never do anything like that in our personal careers, but to set that aside and just sort of do that thing together, it was a lot of fun.

It sounds like something you’d take with you into your own music.

It was cool because we’ve gotten the chance to know one of my idols growing up—and still is—Ben Folds. Since the show, we’ve gotten the chance to get to know him and spend a lot of time with him and hang out. For me, that was worth the whole thing right there.

R U YO AD 3 E 0 R 8 3 HE6) 441-

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Hydroponics • Grow Lights Grow Huts • Organic Potting Soils Herb & Vegetable Starts and more!

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Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes’ trek around the country will take them through Sacramento on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) when the band plays The Torch Club (904 15th Street). The show starts at 6:30 p.m. Show them some love. You’ll be glad you did. For more about the band and to order their album, go to Danielellsworthandthegreatlakes.com.

1910 P S t r e e t s a c r a m e n t o

916 - 8 8 9 - 11 8 9 neverfeltbettervegan.com SubmergeMag.com

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

19

904 15th Street 443.2797 Between I & J • Downtown Sacramento

music, comedy & misc. Calendar

jan 31- feb 12 TUES

31

WED

1

THURS

2

Hans eberbacH 5:30PM

Islandof black&WHIte 9PM acoustIc oPen MIc 5:30PM GoldencadIllacs 9PM X trIo 5PM

HarleyWHIteJr. feat.aaronkInG 9PM PaIler & fratIs 5:30PM

FRI

3

tracoruM 9PM

JoHnny GuItar knoX 5PM

natHan 4 JaMes trIo9PM

SaT

SUn

suPer boWl Party! 2PM

TUES

kyle WIllIaMs 5:30PM dIPPIn sauce 9PM acoustIc oPen MIc 5:30PM HaldevIne9PM X trIo 5PM

5 aaronkInG& frIends 8PM 7

WED

8

THURS

9

HarleyWHIteJr. feat.aaronkInG 9PM

jan. 30 – FEb. 13 submergemag.com/calendar use a qr scanner on your smart phone to view calendar online

Sol Collective Microphone Mondays Open Mic, 6 p.m.

1.31 Tuesday

The Stoney Inn Blue Bird Singer-Songwriter Open Mic, 10 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Hans Eberbach, 5:30 p.m.; Island of Black & White, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Grimey w/ DJs Krampfhaft, Akkachar, Ryury, Whores, Crescendo, Jay Two, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp 4onthefloor, 8 p.m.

Bows and Arrows Woolen Men, Woollen Kits, G. Green, 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts Geoff Tate (from Queensrÿche), 7:30 p.m.

Monday Wednesday Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Open Mic Harlow’s The Wood Brothers, Bows and Arrows Variety Night, 8 p.m.

Sarah & Christian Dugas, 8 Talkdemonic, Two Sheds, Fine p.m.

Davis Bike Collective Walls, Steps, 8 p.m.

Dead Boomers, Buk Buk Big Harrah’s Tower of Power, 7:30 Center for the Arts Martin Ups, 8 p.m. p.m.

Sexton, Adam Gontier, 7:30 Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose Open Mic Night, Club Car The Double Shots, 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Luigi’s (Davis) Calling Morocco, The West Nile Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Ramblers, The Souterrain, 8 Mondays hosted by Ross District 30 Hypercrush, DJ p.m.

Hammond, Tony Passarell, Nate D, 9 p.m.

Randy Stark, Chris Ferreira Marilyn’s Acoustic Open Mic Fox & Goose Julie the Bruce, Trio, Tim Stephenson Trio, Night, 6 p.m.

Normandie Wilson, The 7:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Golden Hour, 8 p.m.

Old Ironsides Strapped for Powerhouse Pub DJs Rigatony, G Street WunderBar Funk Cash w/ Nuance, 7:30 p.m.

Alazzawi, 9 p.m.

Night w/ DJ Larry R., 10 p.m.

On The Y Crunchees, Sioux Press Club FFFreak w/ Harlow’s Coyote Grace, City Pete and the Beggars, CrookOne, DJ Hailey, Dogtones, MaMuse, 7 p.m.

School Shootings, MJF and 9:30 p.m. the Parkinsons, 9 p.m.

Javalounge Trevor Dunn Red Hawk Casino Buddy (Mr. Bungle), Travis LaPlante, Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 Emmer Band, 7 p.m.

Carson McWhirter and Jon p.m.

Bafus, 7:30 p.m.

Shine Jazz Jam w/ Jason Press Club Banner Pilot, Galbraith & Friends, 8 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 Bastards of Young, City of p.m.

Vain, Dead Dads, 8:30 p.m.

Sol Collective Youth DJ Class, 4 p.m.; Joeson Apex, Ship Of Foolz, 7 p.m.

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20

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Marilyn’s Jeff Cambell, Brad Brooks, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides Open Mic w/ host Lare Crawley, 8:30 p.m.

Red Hawk Casino Buddy Emmer Band, 7 p.m.

Shine Live Reggae w/ Inside Story, 8 p.m.

The Stoney Inn Aaron Watson, Curtis & Luckey, 7:30 p.m.

Torch Club Acoustic Open Mic, 5:30 p.m.; Golden Cadillacs, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Wilco, White Denim, 8 p.m. (Sold Out) Uncle Vitos (Davis) Boom Bip w/ The Flower Vato, 10 p.m.

University Union Redwood Room, CSUS Nooner w/ Musical Charis, 12 p.m.

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1/8 page special 1/8 page special for local bands for local bands page special ContaCt 1/8 jonathan 916.441.3803 jonathan@submergemag.Com local bands ContaCt for jonathan 916.441.3803

thursday

The Blue Lamp Awaiting the Apocalypse, The Antioch Synopsis, Kennedy Veil, Our Endless Obsession, 8 p.m.

The Boardwalk Internal Decapitation, Face Down, Crush the Adversary, Legions Requiem, The Battle of Midway, Extirpate, 6:30 p.m.

Center for the Arts Melvin Seals and the JGB, 8 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

The Coffee Garden Open Mic Night, 8 p.m.

District 30 Morgan Page, Ron Reeser, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m.

Haven Underground Agent Ribbons, Leaves, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Rock On Live Band Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides Instagon (19th Birthday Party), Chikading!, Dino Piranha, 8 p.m.

Press Club The Master System, DJ Billy, Odd Moniker, 9:30 p.m.

Red Hawk Casino Buddy Emmer Band, 7 p.m.

Sol Collective Tulsi, The Gnu Deal, Mic Jordan, Century Bars, hosted by Random Abiladeze, 8 p.m.

Torch Club X Trio, 5 p.m.; Harley White Jr. feat. Aaron King, 9 p.m.

2.03 Friday

Ace of Spades ††† (Crosses), Dawn Golden & Rosy Cross, Secret Empire, 7 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Black Mackerel, Cura Cochino, Keloid, 9 p.m.

jonathan@submergemag.Com

ContaCt jonathan

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

916.441.3803 jonathan@submergemag.Com

The Boardwalk Street Urchinz, T-Dub & The Internationals, Red Rover, Bonus Traxx, Cascade, 7 p.m.

Capitol Garage Get Down to the Champion Sound w/ DJ Esef and special guests, 10 p.m.

Center for the Arts Ronnie Montrose, 8 p.m.

District 30 Wynter Gordon, DJ Chris The Rebel, Louie Giovanni, 10 p.m.

Dive Bar Fishnet Fridays! w/ The Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Majesty, Crossing the River, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s The Features, 7 p.m.; SambaDa, 10 p.m.

Javalounge Thar She Blows, Sleepherders, Tyson Graf w/ Alex Jenkins, 8 p.m.

Natomas High School Battle of the Bands w/ Nightmare In The Twilight, Straight Up Grizzly, In Atrophy, Blood Dose, Beyond All Ends, Double Negative, Early On The Marrow, 6 p.m.

Old Ironsides Jem & Scout, The Nickel Slots, Mike Blanchard and the Californios, 9 p.m.

Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m.

Shenanigans Badbwoy BMC, Nesta, Jay Two, Whores, Vik Rokit, Imfdred, G.ost, Mic Jordan, Bru Lei, 10 p.m.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort Arturo Cisneros Y Sus Freddys, 8 p.m.

Torch Club Pailer & Fratis, 5:30 p.m.; Tracorum, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Lois Shapiro (piano), Sarah Pelletier (soprano), 7 p.m.

ZuhG Life Store Annie Jay, Jilt vs. Jonah, Graham Vinson, 4 p.m.

2.04

Saturday Ace of Spades It Starts With Alaska, The Seeking, Common Crooks, A Holy Ghost Revival, Deadlines & Diamonds, Behold The Device, Heart Of A Warrior, 6 p.m.

Auburn Event Center Poor Mans Whiskey, Achilles Wheel (CD Release), 7 p.m.

The Blue Lamp This Charming Band (The Smiths tribute), 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk The Eric Martin Band, Big Boss Graffiti, Larisa Bryski, Wannabe Barnaby, 7 p.m.

Bows and Arrows Sea of Bees, Agent Ribbons, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Wayne Newton, 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts John Doe, 8 p.m.

SubmergeMag.com

Club 21 DJ TJC, Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Kevin Seconds, Jay Shaner, Filthy Luke, 9 p.m.

The Greathouse of Dance DJ Esef, DJ Epik, King Genius, 3 p.m.

Harlow’s Secret Chiefs 3, Dengue Fever, Appetite, 9 p.m.

Javalounge Javalounge PA Benefit w/ Los Headaches, Get Shot!, 3 p.m.; The Hungry, Standing & Staring, Jet Black Popes, 8 p.m.

Kinnee O’Reilly’s BlackEyed Dempseys, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Stoneberry, Scarves, Liz Ryder, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s Adellas Crown, Mind’s Body, Alyssa Cox, 9:30 p.m.

Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Johnny Guitar Knox, 5 p.m.; Nathan James Trio, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Rachel Barton Pine (violin), 8 p.m.

Sol Collective Microphone Mondays Open Mic, 6 p.m.

2.07 Tuesday

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Acoustic Open Mic Night, 6 p.m.

Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub DJs Rigatony, Alazzawi, 9 p.m.

Press Club FFFreak w/ CrookOne, DJ Hailey, Dogtones, 9:30 p.m.

Shine Jazz Jam w/ Jason Galbraith & Friends, 8 p.m.

Sol Collective Youth DJ Class, 4 p.m.

The Stoney Inn Blue Bird Singer-Songwriter Open Mic, 10 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Kyle Williams, 5:30 p.m.; Dippin Sauce, 9 p.m.

2.05 2.08 Sunday

Ace of Spades Attack Attack!, The Ghost Inside, Sleeping With Sirens, Chunk! No Captain Chunk, Dream On Dreamer, 6 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Super Bowl XLVI Half Time Show w/ Kill The Precedent, 1 p.m.

Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Javalounge Pregnant, Art Lessing & Flower Vato, Nicole Kidman, 7 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge The Asylum w/ DJ Bryan Hawk, 9 p.m.

Press Club Sunday Night Soul Party w/ DJ Larry & DJ Hailey, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Super Bowl Party, 2 p.m.; Aaron King & Friends, 8 p.m.

wednesday

Ace of Spades Mute Math, Canon Blue, 6 p.m.

Club Car The Double Shots, 7:30 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Steve McLane, 8 p.m.

G Street WunderBar Funk Night w/ DJ Larry R., 10 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Old Ironsides Open Mic w/ host Lare Crawley, 8:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Playboy School, Ancient Astronaut, Blue Oaks, 8:30 p.m.

Torch Club Acoustic Open Mic, 5:30 p.m.; Haldevine, 9 p.m.

Uncle Vitos (Davis) Boom Bip w/ The Flower Vato, 10 p.m.

University Union Redwood Room, CSUS Nooner w/ Early States, 12 p.m.

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2.06 2.09 Monday

Thursday

The Boxing Donkey Open Mic Variety Night, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond, E2, Alex Jenkins Trio, 7:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Shenanigans Selector Crucial B, DJ Esef, Selector Lou, 10 p.m.

Ace of Spades Excision, Liquid Stranger, Lucky Date, G.A.M.M.A., ATOM O.N.E., 7 p.m.

The Boardwalk Incision, Color the Sound, Fate Under Fire, Squali, Abbey Sky, 6:30 p.m.

Capitol City Hotel Karaoke, 8:30 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

The Coffee Garden Open Mic Night, 8 p.m. continued on page 22

>> Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

21

Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Hans and the Hot Mess, Martin Purtil, 8 p.m.

Harlow’s Diego’s Umbrella, 8 p.m.

Javalounge Odd Moniker, Kevin Lee Florence, Yellow Dot, 8 p.m.

Luigi’s Fungarden Drag The River, Kepi Ghoulie, Vic Ruggiero, Bastards Of Young, 7 p.m.

Luigi’s Fungarden (Davis) Poppet, Letters, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s Rock On Live Band Karaoke, 9 p.m.

The Stoney Inn Tom Drinnon, Deuces Wild, 10 p.m.

Torch Club X Trio, 5 p.m.; Harley White Jr. feat. Aaron King, 9 p.m.

2.10

FRIDAY Ace of Spades The Slackers, The Community, 6:30 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Milo Greene, Family of The Year, Hero’s Last Mission, 9pm The Boardwalk Battle of the Bands Finals w/ The Eclectic, The Electric Shoes, Spirit of St. Louis, Beyond All Ends, Calling All Survivors, The Will The Way, Early on the Morrow, Our Endless Obsession, 6:30 p.m.

Bows and Arrows Majesty, Zodiac Death Valley, Ganglians, 8 p.m.

Capitol Garage Get Down to the Champion Sound w/ DJ Esef and special guests, 10 p.m.

Center for the Arts Hot Buttered Rum, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose Lovelorn Trio, Hank Biggs, Big Iron, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s Tempest, 7 p.m.; Camper Van Beethoven, Not An Airplane, 10 p.m.

Javalounge Adrian Bourgeois, The Ellyn Maybe Band, ElectroPoetic Coffee, 8 p.m.

Luigi’s Fungarden Midtown Horrow Picture Show w/ live music, 8:30 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Autumn Sky, Christopher Fairman, Sherman Baker, 7:30 p.m.

Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m.

The Refuge The Hungry, The Kelps, The Trees, Those Meddling Kids, 7 p.m.

Sacramento Memorial Auditorium Valentines Super Love Jam w/ The Manhattans, Heatwave, Rose Royce, Deniece Williams, GQ, Billy Paul, Gene Chandler, El Chicano, 7:30 p.m.

Shine Mason Rex, Patrick Walsh, 8 p.m.

22

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Torch Club Pailer & Fratis, 5:30 p.m.; John Lee Hooker Jr. (CD Release), 9 p.m.

Townhouse Fleeting Joys, I’m Dirty Too, Dusty Brown, 8 p.m.

2.11 Saturday

Ace of Spades Damage Over Time, Bell Tower Sniper, Represa, Chernobog, Fair Struggle, Nekrocyst, 6:30 p.m.

The Blue Lamp The Booze Bombs, Cockfight Kings, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Simple Creation, Eazy Dub, La Noche Oskura, Massive Delicious, Pendula, The Old Screen Door, 7 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Willie K., 8 p.m.

Crest Theatre Kamran and Hooman Concert, 6:30 p.m.

Fox & Goose Alma Desnuda, Pushtonawanda, Inversions, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Steelin’ Dan, 7 p.m.; Jack and White, Gerald Pease, 10 p.m.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Los Lonely Boys, 7:30 p.m.

Javalounge Piss N’ Blood, City of Vain, Bad Ending, 4 p.m.; Dukes County Love Affair, Gravy’s Drop, The Croissants, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s Relic 45, Smirker, Emma Hill, 7 p.m.

MontBleu Resort Casino The Expendables, MTHDS, Through the Roots, and Fortunate Youth, 8 p.m.

Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m.

Tommy T’s Yukmouth, DruDown, Lee Majors, Work Dirty and The Regime, 5 p.m.

Townhouse Indian Jewelry, Ganglians, Clipd Beaks, 8 p.m.

2.12 Sunday

Ace of Spades The Expendables, MTHDS, Through The Roots, Fortunate Youth, 6:30 p.m.

The Boardwalk Dr. Acula, The Devastated, Design the Skyline, Before You Fall, The Will The Way, Alegion, 6:30 p.m.

Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 9 p.m.

Center for the Arts Kenny White, 7:30 p.m.

Crest Theatre Tommy Emmanuel, 6:30 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Harlow’s Close To You (Carpenters tribute), 7 p.m.

Javalounge Problem with Dragons, Planetoid, Flounder, 7 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge The Asylum w/ DJ Bryan Hawk, 9 p.m.

Press Club Sunday Night Soul Party w/ DJ Larry & DJ Hailey, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; Gravel Road, 8 p.m.

2.13 Monday

Ace of Spades Falling In Reverse, Oh Sleeper, Skip The Foreplay, Paint Over Pictures, 6 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Open Mic Variety Night, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m.

Harlow’s Tera Melos, Busdriver, 7 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond w/ Jack Wright, Tony Dryer & Jacob Felix Heule Trio, 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sol Collective Microphone Mondays Open Mic, 6 p.m.

Comedy Laughs Unlimited Cash Levy, Carlos Rodriguez, Feb. 2 - 5, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Comedy Open Mic Showcase, Feb. 7, 8 p.m.

Geoff Brown, Adam Richmond, Feb. 9 - 12, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Luna's Cafe Keith Lowell Jensen's Comedy Night, every Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Po'Boyz Bar & Grill (Folsom) Comedy Open Mic, every Monday, 9 p.m.

Punchline Comedy Club Sacramento Comedy Showcase, Feb. 1, 8 p.m.

Will Durst, Feb. 2, 8 p.m.

Maz Jobrani, Feb. 3 - 4, Fri. & Sat., 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.

Bobby Slayton, Feb. 9 - 12, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Sacramento Comedy Sportz Mayhem Improv Comedy, every Thursday, 9 p.m.

ComedySportz, every Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.

Sacramento Comedy Spot Feb. 1 & 8, Improv 1 Continuous, 7 p.m.; Harold Night, 9 p.m.

Feb. 3, Anti Cooperation League, 9 p.m.

Feb. 4, Cage Match, Anti Cooperation League, 8 p.m.

Feb. 5 & 12, Open Mic Scramble, 7 p.m.

Feb. 10, The Syndicate, 9 p.m.

The Stoney Inn Comedy Open Mic, every Monday, 8 p.m.

Tommy T’s Tony Roberts, Feb. 2 - 4, Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Willie Barcena, Feb. 9 - 12, Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Misc.

Artisan Building Sacramento VegFest, Feb. 4, 11 a.m.

Blue Cue Trivia Night, every Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Bows & Arrows Permabond: new artwork by Liz Donner and Sarah Scherer, Feb. 3, 6 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Trivia Night, every Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Cal Expo Naughty Gras 2012, Feb. 11, 8 p.m.

California Museum Riding Concrete: Skateboarding in California curated by Z-Boy Nathan Pratt, now through March, 2012 Community Center Theatre Paula Deen Live!, Feb. 3, 7 p.m.

Crocker Art Museum Thurs Til 9: Film Frame: A Place Called Sacramento, Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m.

Fox & Goose Pub Quiz, every Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Gallery 2110 Musicians of Midtown: sketches & paintings by Brooke WalkerKnoblich, Feb. 7 - Mar. 2 Beer, Brats and Beethoven Festival, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.

Golden Bear Random Knowledge Trivia Night, every Wednesday, 8 p.m.

JayJay Gallery The Back Room: sublime works from the annex and beyond inspired by our Back Room Weekly, Feb. 8 - April 21, opening reception Feb. 14, 5 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Poetry Unplugged, every Thursday, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Trivia Night, every Monday, 8 p.m.

Shine Poetry with Legs w/ Martha Anne Blackmen, Abe Sass, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.

2nd Saturday Art Reception w/ Andy Garcia, Feb. 11, 6 p.m.

University Union Ballroom, CSUS Lecture w/ filmmaker and activist Byron Hurt, 7:30 p.m.

The Vagina Monologues, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Verge Center for the Arts Sacramento French Film Festival’s 5th Annual French Short Films Screening, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m.

Vox Sacramento 2nd Saturday: Where Is The Love, 4 p.m.; A Marathon of Love Poems, 7 p.m.

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Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

23

Audio Express — Sacramento Submerge — 1/30/2012

Put Soul In, Get Good Out

Local pro skater and longtime musician Matt Rodriguez has a style all his own words Jonathan Carabba • photos wes davis

24

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

F

or having had such a long, successful career as a professional skateboarder, going on trips around the world to film countless videos, landing in magazine spreads left and right, co-founding a popular footwear company called iPath, all while earning what many might call “legendary status” along the way, Matt Rodriguez is a really mellow, surprisingly normal guy. In fact, when Submerge arrived at Rodriguez’s Midtown house in early January, we found him in his backyard shoveling dog poop. See, pro skaters are just like you and me.

One major difference between Rodriguez and the rest of us, though, is that the remainder of his yard, the part not covered in dog doo doo, is made up of a custom skate park with ramps built from salvaged wood.

“It was kind of like a scavenger hunt,” Rodriguez said of his lengthy search for re-usable lumber. Although extremely well built, the ramps are steep and gnarly with tight, technical lines; definitely not easy to skate. In a way, that sort of sums up Rodriguez’s style. He’s known for rolling up to spots that to the untrained eye might not even look skateable, but before long he’ll have a couple tricks bagged and will be ready for band practice (he plays drums in local band The Storytellers as well as percussion in a musical experiment called Blktop Project with fellow pro skaters Ray Barbee, Tommy Guerrero and Chuck Treece).

A dirty drainage ditch here, a makeshift plywood ramp leaned up against an electrical box there, and Rodriguez can make anything and everything he approaches on his skateboard, no matter how sketchy or unusual of a spot it is, look downright stylish.

Case in point: After an interview sitting with Rodriguez amongst the ramps in his backyard, photographer Wes Davis and Rodriguez set out on one of a couple missions to snap some photos to accompany this article and Submerge decided to tag along. After loading up a couple skateboards and a case of camera equipment into one car, we headed for a bank spot in West Sacramento near Raley Field that Rodriguez wanted to session. “It’s been here for years but was always fenced in, so I couldn’t get to it,” he said of the feature. The fence recently came down so he’s taking full advantage. As we rolled up to the spot, Submerge couldn’t help but notice that the small concrete bank Rodriguez spoke of was literally smack dab in the middle of a dirt field. Not where you would typically think to go to snap a photo of a skater, like, say, somewhere with more concrete.

“This is the story of my career, fucked up spots,” Rodriguez joked.

We arranged three or four long, narrow pieces of wood as his run-up to the bank to gain speed. He’d start in the dirt with his board in hand and would sprint toward the makeshift ramp, hop on his board and then pop a trick on the lip of the bank. Davis lined up the shot from a number of angles, at times getting down and dirty laying flat on the ground to get the proper vantage point.

“Sometimes you’ll be at a spot for hours trying to get a shot,” Davis said of the tedious art that is photographing skating.

Lucky for us, Rodriguez was on this particular day and half-an-hour or so later we had a few keeper shots, some of which show the Tower Bridge directly behind Rodriguez mid-trick. We’d captured two Sacramento icons in one shot, a success indeed.

After the dirt field bank spot, we headed around the corner to an entrance near the ballpark and immediately started, pulling pieces of plywood off of nearby lumber piles, building a makeshift launch ramp and a landing with a tall obstacle in the middle for Rodriguez to olly over. You know, another typical Rodriguez style set-up consisting of randomly found wood and obstacles. Just as we were about done with the set-up and Rodriguez was getting ready to hit it, we heard someone yell at the top of their lungs, “Hey!” and we saw what looked to be like a security guard pointing at us from a distance. We thought nothing of it until we saw him start running, so we scurried back to our car and hopped in before he could give us any shit. Crisis avoided.

“Just like the old days,” Rodriguez said, smiling ear to ear as we sped off, tires chirping.

On the car ride back to his house, Rodriguez spoke of wanting to get into photography, stating that it would be a good way to keep involved in the sport as he gets older. At 35, Rodriguez is surely no young buck, but one look at his part in the recently released iPath team video The Other Ones shows he’s still at the top of his game and likely will not be dropping off the radar anytime soon.

“Trust me, I’ve been a part of a lot of videos,” Rodriguez said. “Some I’m proud of and some I’m not so proud of. This one, as a team we did some missions and covered some ground and gathered some good footage. It is what it is, I think it’s good, honest skateboarding.”

In the following interview with Rodriguez, you’ll learn more about iPath and his involvement in the company, his passion for music and how it ties into his skating, his love for Sacramento and tips for growing dreadlocks. Pick up The Other Ones at local skate shops or find it online by searching “iPath The Other Ones.”

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

What have you been up to lately? What have you been focusing your energy on?

Skate-wise, doing a lot with iPath right now, designing some shoes and trying to scout out some possible new members for the team. We just finished a video, The Other Ones, so just doing that, keeping that fire burning. And you know, music, The Storytellers and Blktop Project. We just did a Blktop tour in Japan.

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How was that?

It was awesome, we went for eight days. It was great.

LUNCH ~

You were one of the original founders of iPath back in the late ‘90s. Since then the company has gone through a couple of ownership changes and it seems like it’s been on a bit of a roller coaster.

What is your role at the company now?

Just someone who they, at least the new owners, look at as a headstone basically. Being there from the dirt up, going through all the metamorphosing, to team changes and new owners. Now it’s on its third owner, and hopefully its last. Just being someone who they look to for direction, being a skater, you know, they figure, “This guy knows what he’s doing and has been here from day one.”

I’ve read that Klone Lab, the new owners, want to get the company back to its roots. It’s got to feel good knowing that everyone is on the same page when it comes to realigning the company with it’s original values and image, right?

Yeah, whereas a lot of stuff changed when Timberland bought it. They hired a general manager, he came in and just cut half the team, and the half of the team that he cut were big personalities and a big part of the company, that makes up the vibe. A lot of stuff went through change then. But Timberland came into the situation not knowing who the hell was who in skateboarding. Through the time they had it, it grew and maxed out every year and was showing increasing growth, but I just think it wasn’t enough for them and they had other stuff on their plate. They actually sold Timberland, so the good thing is that they put iPath on the market for someone to take instead of canning it. They could have been like, “We’re over it, sorry.” But they realized that it’s a collective of skaters and artists, and a lifestyle even beyond just skateboarding, and they respected that and they wanted to give it a chance for someone else to take the time and energy. So Klone Lab stepped in.

It’s a tough market out there for small shoe companies, isn't it?

Oh yeah, you’ve got companies like Nike, even all their pros that they pay to skate for their team combined is still barely a chunk of what they pay Tiger Woods. So skating for Nike, it’s fun, they can have fun with it, but it’s not their livelihood. With something like iPath, from the original investors to the investors now, that’s all they have, they have to make it work. But, you know, we’re just wanting to take more road trips, trying to get articles, making some films, get it all out there and just keep it going. Just keep trying to show the raw side and the soul side of skating.

As a company, especially coming from a grassroots budget, let alone motive, it’s not always easy. We don’t have X amount of dollars to just blow and have fun with, we have to make every SubmergeMag.com

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dollar count. Granted, not everything runs smooth, even when you have all the dollars to wipe your ass or sweaty forehead with.

But nonetheless it’s all about keeping going, nothing is going to be perfect. It’s like a band, sometimes a member gets fed up and can’t take it, or you want to bring a new member in, or someone wants to go in a different direction, or there’s a falling out. Whatever you have left, you have to work with.

The iPath skate team has gone through changes recently and a lot of people were dropped, right? Who is officially on the team now? I read somewhere it is just you, Fred Gall, Kenny Reed and Steve Nesser. Is that true?

Yeah, for right now.

About The Other Ones, there’s a long story behind why it didn’t get “officially” released through iPath, can you touch on that please?

It’s an independent effort from the team, because at the time iPath knew people were going to have to be cut, and they didn’t want to put it out as "the iPath video" and then a month later, half the team is gone. So for now, for our individual talent and credibility, the video is out. It’s out there as opposed to out of sight, out of mind. The team got together and were like, “Fuck it.” iPath still put in some money to produce it, most of the footage in that video is from iPath tours, so iPath is still a big part of it. continued on page 26

>>

“I don’t ever see myself just being like, “Ugh I’m too old,” or mad I’m not getting paid, or being sent around to do demonstrations.

I’m going to skate, go find a ditch and have at it.”

– Matt Rodriguez

R U O Y AD E 03 R 8 3 E H916) 441 (

.com g a m rge

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in

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

25

The song during your part, you recorded that right?

Yeah that was me and Tommy [Guerrero], that was just on the cuff. I was like, “Yo I want to come down and throw down a rhythm.” We set up the mics and just fucking went for it. He had a bass line and we just did layers.

Is this the first time you’ve recorded a song for a video part of yours?

No, I’ve done that before, but it was all percussion.

This one was percussion, Tommy on bass, a little guitar, some melodica, some shakers.

Is that something you’ll continue to do? Not a lot of skaters can say, “That’s my song during my part.”

I figure whatever I have to offer, you know? I’m going to need a song, why not throw down a little something?

How old were you when you started playing music?

What instruments were you first drawn to?

In fourth grade I definitely was tearing down boxes and buckets and banging away on anything I could get my hands on. We had an extra room and I lived on Madison and Sunrise, and it was like all around me. I just had like boxes and buckets and pans. I’d play with my mom’s coat hangers, I’d snap them so I had sticks. I finally got my first drum set when I was in sixth grade.

So it was percussion that drew you in?

Yeah, basically. Drumming and time, rhythms and patterns. I like how physically demanding it is, like skating. That’s what attracted me to skating, because I used to break dance when I was young in San Jose. So when I first seen skating…

Wait a second, that didn’t come up in my research!

How into break dancing were you? And how old were you?

I’d go to battles, me and my older brother.

I was like 7 to 10 years old. Then I found my first skateboard when I was 10-and-a-half.

26

You found the board in one of your grandparents’ closets, right?

Yeah, my grandpa’s closet. It was my older brother’s, but I’d never seen him ride it. I was like, “Sick! Something to roll on!” From then on I met skaters, and they showed me Thrasher mag and who were the dudes. I was like, “Oh sick, there’s a whole world here.” I was captivated.

You’re 35 now and still going hard in such a physically demanding sport. How do you keep your body and mind so healthy and fit? What are your secrets?

It’s just will. I don’t ever see myself just being like, “Ugh I’m too old,” or mad I’m not getting paid, or being sent around to do demonstrations. I’m going to skate, go find a ditch and have at it.

You skate with your trucks ridiculously loose.

What’s that all about?

Jeff Toland and Ricky Winsor and Sam Cunningham, so many amazing guys like that, I naturally gravitated to it because I grew up seeing it. Those dudes literally schooled me, I was basically blessed to grow up with those guys.

They were raw, they rode their trucks super loose, they didn’t give a shit, they were like, “Fuck you, we’re skating! Don’t talk shit or we’ll caveman the side of your car’s fender.” They were just so raw. You know, back in the day learning flip tricks and whatnot… You evolve over time, your skating may change. I definitely realized my skating was changing and wanting to do something different.

I always want to do something against the grain, you know. I get sick of seeing the same redundant shit out there. As far as skating with my trucks loose, that was just more of a way to be like, “How can I make my circumstances more screwed up and still pull it off?” Back then, they weren’t doing the tricks that are around today, but nonetheless, it’s possible. So I slowly worked my way looser and looser.

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

And now your trucks are barely on your board...

It’s a challenge, yeah. My board’s fucked, but I’m still rollin’ away!

Have you always called Sacramento home?

Pretty much, yeah. I moved here when I was 11-and-a-half. Grew up all around skating, knowing different skaters around the perimeter, downtown and all the outskirts. I moved back to San Jose when I was 16 for two years only to realize I just loved it up here, all the trees—the people, the pace, just the vibe, you know? The seasons, you can actually see them. And just the people, the friends I met through skating here. So I moved back after high school. I’ve been here ever since. I go around the world, I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places, but when I’m coming home to Sac, I’m like, “Ah man, good old Sac.”

Lastly, how long have you been growing those dreads?

Oh, this mop? Seven years. The secret to fastgrowing, long hair is to eat a lot of beans. Lentils, peas and kidneys, it’s all the calcium.

Learn more about iPath at ipath.com. Pick up The Other Ones at local skate shops or find it online by searching “iPath The Other Ones.”

Learn more about Blktop Project at Galaxiarecords.com/album/ blktop-project. Look for upcoming Storytellers show dates at Facebook. com/sacstorytellers and expect a new album later this year. That Rodriguez, he’s a busy dude.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Man on a Ledge Summit

Words James Barone Man on a Ledge begins much as its title suggests it would, with Sam Worthington playing ex-cop turned escaped felon Nick Cassidy stepping onto the ledge outside his 21st floor New York City hotel room window. As a lady on the street below screamed, “There’s a man on the ledge,” I was instantly reminded of a drinking game a friend of mine once told me about. The rules, as they were explained to me, was that every time a character in a movie says the name of the movie, or some derivative thereof, you take a shot. As it turned out, if I had gone to the cinema prepared, I would have caught a decent buzz about 10 minutes into the film. It’s a shame, because I sure could have used it.

As previously stated, Worthington stars in the role of Nick Cassidy. He’s serving 25 years in Sing Sing for a crime he says he didn’t commit. He has a death wish—or so it seems—and he regularly gets into fights with other inmates. He gets a day outside prison walls to attend his father's funeral, but he ends up putting his mourning on hold long enough to kick his little brother’s ass (in front of his girlfriend no less) and escapes the authorities. Instead of high tailing it to Canada or something, he travels to New York City to clear his name. It would seem that some crooked cops and a wealthy dude named David Englander (Ed Harris, slumming it) framed him for the theft of a giant diamond, which I believe was roughly the same plot as The Great Muppet Caper.

Unfortunately for us, Jim Henson’s charming creations are nowhere to be found. What we’re left with is the most implausible piece SubmergeMag.com

of horseshit “action” movie to crawl out of Hollywood in a good long time.

The film’s biggest problem (though it has plenty) is that it becomes the victim of its own premise. It’s an action movie that places its most viable action star, Worthington, on a ledge where he can’t do anything but toss money on the crowd of onlookers below him, feign jumping and chit-chat with officer Lydia Mercer (played by Elizabeth Banks), but really I can’t fault him there. By the time the story takes our man on the ledge off the ledge (spoiler alert), he’d have to kick the asses of an entire army’s worth of Predators to make up for the shit sandwich we were forced to endure for the hour or so prior.

A good action movie also needs a vile villain, and in that regard, Man on a Ledge also fails miserably. Harris spends most of the movie pensively sucking on his expensive cigar while looking out the window of his high rise. Other than walking around as if he had a stick up his ass, the only bit of orneriness he displays is when he hurls a watch a sniveling underling gave him as a suck up gift against a wall. I guess that's kind of evil, being so unappreciative. Englander’s main crime seems to be that he’s richer than anyone else. So yeah, you know what? Fuck that guy.

Banks serves as the film’s only bright spot.

Not because she’s particularly good in the role— not even Meryl Streep could have pulled that off—but because she’s the only one who seems to give a damn. As Mercer, an officer who failed in talking another jumper, a fellow cop, out of taking a dive off the Brooklyn Bridge, Banks gives it the old college try. (She also proves that movies are the only place where it’s possible to wake up with a raging hangover and still look amazing.) That effort would probably be better served elsewhere.

In short, if you go see this, you’ll probably need someone to talk you down. I hear life is so worth living. I’m just not so sure any more.

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

27

live<< rewind

DJs Turn Up The Sound DJs Hype, Billy Lane, Atom O.N.E., Whores

District 30, Sacramento • Thursday, January 19, 2012

Words & Photos Ashley Hassinger Drum 'n' Bass, an electronic genre consisting of fast beat breaks and heavy bass, was the theme for last Thursday night at District 30.

Local and world-renowned drum ‘n’ bass DJs showed off their masterful skills as they took to the stage.

Four DJs were set to spin: DJ Whores, DJ Atom O.N.E., DJ Billy Lane and headliner DJ Hype each had their own styles and techniques that brought energy to the crowd.

Local DJ Whores opened the night, working a drum ‘n’ bass vinyl set. He brought back the classic side of vinyl to his performance, and it put a great edge to his skilled work. A flawless and fluid mixed set is what fans of DJ Whores expect. Starting with a classic drum ‘n’ bass sound and then slowly making his way to more of a hip-hop and reggae style, Whores made his set something to reminisce about. Along with fluid transitions, Whores showed his expert technique from effortless changeovers from slow to fast tempo to layered slow/medium tempo songs over fast tempo.

Another local, DJ Atom O.N.E., was second on the lineup. One word can sum up his performance: energy. Atom O.N.E had an endless amount of liveliness up in the DJ booth, and his animated moves were catching on with the entire crowd. He started off with a set heavy on dubstep, consisting of instrumental tracks. He eventually transitioned into vocal tracks, mixing in drum ‘n’ bass. Using the element of breaks in the middle of his set, he allowed for a dramatic buildup back to the original tempo.

Rudeboy DJ Billy Lane continued the high enthusiasm as he brought in a set heavy on hip-hop and reggae drum ‘n’ bass. Lane had an understated talent for scratching as he opened up his set with several hip-hop tracks. Hip-hop

28

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

gradually progressed to reggae, allowing Lane to layer his work with vocal and instrumental pieces. Similar to DJ Whores, DJ Billy Lane did an impressive job jumping from slow to fast tempo songs effortlessly.

Headliner DJ Hype closed out the night with artistry, expertise and most of all, a whole lot of bass.

Kevin “DJ Hype” Ford has been referred to as the guru of drum ‘n’ bass, having been in the business for more than two decades. Reigning from London, DJ Hype had spun all over the world before finally setting foot in the heart of downtown Sacramento.

With an introduction of smoke machines and a light show, he immediately opened with fiery tempo drum ‘n’ bass with reggae vocals by MC Daddy Earl.

The crowd was instantly enraptured in the intense sounds. From break-dancers to head bobbers, there wasn’t one person not moving to the sounds he created.

DJ Hype possessed every quality a prominent DJ should have with smooth transitions and layers of fast tempo over slow vocals. His music was certainly unique in its nature.

In addition to his well-developed talent, his style of mixing created a sense of euphoria on the dance floor. With a set that consisted of a cycle of slowed instrumental tracks, layering to vocals and ultimately ending in a fast tempo drum ‘n’ bass sound, it kept the sound unpredictable.

The night enabled an array of DJs to demonstrate their takes on drum ‘n’ bass, some incorporating dubstep into the mix. If you’re not familiar with, drum ‘n’ bass these four DJs are a great place to start. Each DJ showcases the variety of the genre and a are must to check out.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Swollen Sounds

live<< rewind

Pregnant, Books on Tape, Darlingchemicalia

Bows and Arrows, Sacramento • Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 Words Amy Serna • Photos Sarah hansel

There is only one music venue in downtown Sacramento that has the power to multitask.

Bows and Arrows seems to have it all: secondhand clothing store, café, bar, gallery and even a music venue. Each part of the unique venue flawlessly transitions from one part of the building to the next, making it an all-in-one destination for a great night out. On Saturday, Jan. 28, Bows and Arrows showed off their music side with live performances by Darlingchemicalia, Books on Tape, and Pregnant.

The show started with garage rock sounds from Darlingchemicalia. As the crowd slowly gathered around to hear their music, the majority of the audience members stood still, drinking beers out of glass jars, while standing around the performers. But there was one man who was enjoying the music up close and personal. For every strum the band had to offer he felt the music in his bones and couldn’t help but dance it out. After they played their first song, the lead singer asked the crowd, “Is there something that’s too loud?” Then someone from the audience immediately answered back with, “Everything all the time!” The different songs they played seemed to blend into each other, making it a little hard to hear the instruments being played.

After Darlingchemicalia finished their set, it was time for a small intermission to grab a beer at the bar or relax outside in the patio area. The next band up to the stage was Books on Tape, who gave off a Meg and Jack White vibe with a girl drummer and one guitarist. Although the speakers sounded a bit fuzzy, they played each song with a rock attitude. Behind them was a wall covered with slightly crooked photographs from a previous exhibit; coincidentally most of the pictures were scenes from live music shows in Sacramento.

SubmergeMag.com

After Books on Tape finished their set, it was time to make way for the headliners of the night, Pregnant. Tonight performing as a duo, the electronic band brought a whole new meaning to the word multi-instrumentalist. The only things that frontman Daniel Trudeau needed was a chair and lot of floor space. He used the floor to his advantage and would play most of his instruments that were placed on a rug. While the microphone was on the floor he would play the tambourine, drum machine and a shaker and would only lift the microphone to play the harmonica or use his voice. These two band members found a way to create a consistent sound with very few words and a lot of instruments, over seven of them, to create an electronic sound that was easy to follow. Each song blended with the next so there was no time for them to pause after a song was over. And there was nothing that could break the concentration of these musicians even as people fought for their conversations to be heard at the bar. Whether people went out that night to socialize, shop, drink or listen to live music, Bows and Arrows can be added as one of the few venues that can do it all.

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

29

the shallow end My Google and Me James Barone jb@submergemag.com

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Recently, the Internet went up in arms about two pieces of legislation aimed at combating piracy: SOPA and PIPA. While these two acts may have been well-intentioned, their benign faces hid something more sinister beneath. Fears of Internet censorship and the degradation of due process vomited all over my Facebook feed (probably rightfully so) and websites blacked out in protest. No one likes a pirate, but what people hate more is the possibility of losing their access to free pornography. The outcry worked, or at least delayed the inevitable. Both acts were shelved for the time-being, thanks mostly to Republican lawmakers, some of whom were cosponsoring the bills. SOPA and PIPA will most likely rear their ugly heads again, though, as both parties are working on a compromise.

For now, all seemed right with the Internet.

But then just a couple days ago, I got an e-mail from Google. Funny that. I didn’t think Google knew me. But it does. And it would seem that it wants to know a hell of a lot more about me too.

Google blasted my three Gmail accounts with news that they were changing their privacy policy. I ignored them completely. I did this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I never understand privacy policies. When I read them, I feel like a complete imbecile, and there’s almost nothing I hate more than feeling like a complete imbecile. Secondly, I figured whatever was in there was just an outline of how the company of smartypantses had figured out a way to fuck me up the ass without my permission and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. As it turns out, the latter wasn’t too far from the truth, though not nearly as dramatic (or messy).

The changes affect those of you with Google accounts: i.e. Gmail, Google+, Picasa and YouTube. The new policy will allow the Web juggernaut to collect and perhaps integrate (according to Washingtonpost. com) “almost anything that’s already in the Google ecosystem: calendar appointments, location data, search preferences, contacts, personal habits based on Gmail chatter, device information and search queries, to name a few.” Google already collects this info, but the change allows it to share what it gathers across its many sites to “stitch together a fuller

portrait of users,” states another article on Washingtonpost.com. So what you type into a search may affect your experience while you’re logged into Picasa, and so forth. The change will also allow Google to bombard you with ads that are more curtailed to your Internet habits.

This will also help Google to keep an eye on you, like give you traffic updates depending upon your location, give you a heads up about an upcoming appointment and even make sure you’re spelling your friend’s names correctly, because it can see them in your contacts.

It doesn’t sound all that bad, really. We could all use someone to watch over us, like a guardian angel of the Internet. However, here’s the problem. You can’t opt out. The only way to avoid Google’s change in policy is to break your ties with the company entirely and delete your accounts.

This is kind of the insidious part. For years, Google has entrenched itself as the gateway to the Internet. It hasn’t just become a useful tool, it has wormed its way into the language.

You don’t search for something, you Google it. I run multiple e-mails as well as chat programs through my Gmail account, and its calendar has become invaluable as far as scheduling interviews around my day job and whatnot.

Its document service has also helped us here at Submerge keep track of what stories have come in and what needs to be edited for each issue. Look, guys, I don’t know how to say this, but I’m hooked.

I’d like to take up the banner and say fuck them, and here’s another instance of the Man or Big Brother or the Illuminati or whatever faceless conglomeration of overlords you hold dear trying to herd me into a pen and control me or whatever, but I’m at a loss for what to do here. Google is the lynchpin of my Internet presence. Without it, I’m not really sure who I am, digitally speaking.

The new privacy policy goes into effect on March 1. So if there’s anything you don’t want Google to know about you, now’s the time to start clearing out your history and cleansing your cache of all the undesirable sites you’ve been trolling the past few years. Or you could just tell Google, you know, it’s not you, it’s me and move on to something else. There is something else, right?

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30

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SaTUrday

FEB 18

the wood brothers

feat. Chris wood of Medeski Martin & wood

sarah & Christian dugas

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

Crest theatre • 1013 k st. • saCto • all ages • 7:30pm t i C k e t s : t h e b e at, C r e s t b o x o f f i C e , w w w.t i C k e t s .C o M

FEB 23

jan 31

(stompin’ blues From TUESday Minneapolis, Mn) 4onthefloor jan 31 blue lamp • 1400 alHambra blvd. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm Friday (froM nashville) the features FEB 3 Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 18 & over • 6:30pm

seCret Chiefs 3 dengue fever appetite

ThUrSday

TUESday

feat. trey spruanCe & danny heifetz of Mr. bungle

SaTUrday

FEB 4

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm

Milo greene

plus

harloW’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm ThUrSday

apr 5 playing live for the first tiMe sinCe 1994

Family oF the year • hero’s last mission

blue lamp • 1400 alHambra blvd. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm

Friday

Jenny owen youngs

Friday

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:30pm

little hurriCane

harloW’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm also appearing 4/13 at fulton 55, fresno (tiCkets at www.tiCketfly.CoM)

le on sdaay, fri b 3 fe noon

SaTUrday

apr 7

@

the growlers allah-las

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

lagwagon

Cobra skulls • nothington

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • all aGes • 6:30pm

blitzen trapper the parson red heads

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

harloW’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 7:30pm SaTUrday

apr 14

the soFt White sixties • the shrine

TUESday

apr 17

FEB 10 FEB 24 TUESday

FEB 28 WEdnESday

FEB 29 Monday

Mar 5

TUESday gappy ranks Mar 6 Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm ivan neville’s ThUrSday Mar 8 duMpstaphunk Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm Friday howlin rain

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm

harloW’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 18 & over • 7:00pm

FEB 10

CaMpernotvan beethoven an airplane

blue lamp • 1400 alHambra blvd. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm

Mike watt, george hurley, ed Crawford

Friday

Mar 9

robert sChwartzMan (of rooney)

the relationship

feat. brian bell (of weezer) JaMestown revival

Friday

Mar 16

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

plus harloW’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

abstract entertainment www.abstraCtsaCraMento.CoM

SubmergeMag.com

SUnday umphrey’s mCgee Mar 18 Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:30pm Friday the nibblers Mar 23 Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 9:00pm tiCkets available at: the beat (17th & J st.), diMple reCords, phono-seleCt or online at: eventbrite.Com, tiCkets.Com • tiCkets For harloW’s shoWs also available at harlows.CoM

Issue 103 • January 30 – February 13, 2012

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Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas january 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 13, 2012

#103

music + art + lifestYle

Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes The Best Band You Might Have Missed

Matt Rodriguez High Hand

SIZZLING SIRENS Good Clean Dirty free Fun

The Soul of Skating

Foodie Dreams Come True

+

Man on a Ledge might as well jump

Drum 'n' bass at district 30 Pregnant Hits the Bullseye