Submerge Magazine: Issue 104 (February 13 - 27, 2012)

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas february 13 – 27, 2012

#104 Doug Stanhope Flirting with Normality

Desario Mixing It Up Dogfood’s 2012 Tour Diary Bikinis, Booze & Brotherhood

Ross Hammond Riffing with a Purpose

Track 7 & Ruhstaller Breweries Gear Up for Sacramento Beer Week

Hungry as Ever

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

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

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Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

3

10

14 26

13

february 13 - 27

04 06 08 09 10 12 13 14 18 23 24 26 28 29 30

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

Mandy Johnston

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

Submerge

2308 J Street, Suite F Sacramento, Calif. 95816

916.441.3803 info@submergemag.com

Contributing photographers

Mike Ibe, Wes Davis, Carolyn Jaime, Skylar Mundy, Nicholas Wray

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

4

104 2012

contents

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

printed on recycled paper

cover photo of mean doe green by Token Media Group

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Dive in

Submerge your senses The Stream The Optimistic Pessimist mean doe green TONGUE & CHIC

Ruhstaller TONGUE & CHIC

track 7

doug stanhope CALENDAR on the road with

Dogfood

ross hammond Desario the grindhouse

safe house LIVE<<REWIND

Mutemath, Canon Blue the shallow end 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 ross hammond by Louise Mitchell

dive in Aloha!

Melissa welliver melissa@submergemag.com Well, we’re back from vacation. Submerge co-founder/my fiance Jonathan Carabba and I had a great time in Kauai! There was lots of snorkeling, and sightseeing and an extreme amount of Ahi was devoured. It is an amazing island, that’s for sure, but one thing I felt it lacked was live music. One night we caught a local reggae band at a cool bar, another night we overheard a guy playing slack-key guitar in a fancy hotel lobby setting, but other than that we didn’t hear much live music during our stay. However, there were flyers all over the place for the Jamaican band Third World playing in a few weeks. I’m guessing that’s pretty much the extent of touring music they get. Though we weren’t there for the music, it sure made me appreciate all the local and touring artists coming through the Sacramento area on the regular.

On that note, I just want to say if you are a fan of slack-key guitar, Harlow’s always blows me away with how much Hawaiian music they bring to Sacramento. Make it feel like you’re on vacation and check out the Hawaiian Legends Tour with George Kahumoku Jr., Uncle Richard Ho’opi’i and Bobby Ingano on March 10.

Now, speaking of traveling, you might remember that a few years ago we used to run a feature called “On the Road,” which was a brief journal with photos and blurbs written by local touring bands. We’ve featured the travels and tribulations of Red Host, Mozart Season, Boats! and many others. For some reason it went by the wayside, but we’ve always been dying to resurrect it. When I met Skyler Michael from local band Dogfood back in December at Ace of Spades, he explained how his band was going on tour for two months. I figured this would be a perfect time to bring back “On the Road!” Check out the boys of Dogfood as they recount their tour so far on page 23. Then be sure to welcome them back home when they play at Powerhouse Pub in March. And if you are in a band (or know someone in a band) going on tour this spring or summer, please e-mail me at melissa@submergemag.com. If you’d be interested in writing about (and taking photos of) your tour experiences, your band could possibly be featured in an upcoming issue of Submerge!

The rest of the issue is packed! First up is Mean Doe Green (aka Doey Rock). We’ve wanted to feature him in Submerge for years now, and we’re happy to finally do so. Our writer Jenn Walker hung out with Green in a downtown Sacramento studio, and after he smoked some, well, green, he really opened up.

Check out this fascinating interview on page 10 and check out his release show for his newest offering, Shade Proof, on Mar. 16 at Harlow’s. You’ll also find a feature on local jazz guitarist Ross Hammond and his new quartet’s album, Adored. Turn to page 24 to read our writer Blake Gillespie’s piece on one of Sacramento’s most talented six-stringers. Local band Desario is also in this issue and is celebrating the release of their sophomore album, Mixer, on March 3 at Beatnik Studios. Turn to page 26 to read our interview with guitarist Michael Yoas, who also produced and engineered their entire new record.

Also in this issue: an entertaining and hilarious conversation with one of stand-up comedy’s greats, Doug Stanhope. As our writer Corey Bloom puts it, Stanhope is a polarizing figure; you either love him or you hate him. Turn to page 14 and then go see one of his five shows at Punch Line from Feb. 23–25 to find out which side you fall on.

With the third annual Sacramento Beer Week upon us (it runs Feb. 24 through March 4) Submerge food/drink correspondent Adam Saake penned not one, but two great articles for this issue: one on Ruhstaller Beer (page 12) and one on Track 7 Brewing (page 13), two local breweries with interesting back stories that have cool events happening during Beer Week.

And if you’ve noticed our street fashion column “Capital Capture” hasn’t been in the past few issues, sorry, it’s been in hibernation. Don’t fret, it will be back in one of the next few issues to highlight and feature trends we find on the streets of Sacramento.

Enjoy issue #104, there’s a lot in here to soak up!

Melissa-Dubs

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

5

Your Senses SEE HEAR TASTE Touch

TOUCH

Beads & Masks at Old Sacramento’s Mardi Gras Begrudging the fact it’s another year and you still don’t have cash to head to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? Us too. But if you’re looking for an excuse to bust out the beads without feeling lame, then hit up Old Sacramento for the next best thing. From 5 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 18, the River City Saloon, Hot & Spicy Café New Orleans, the Coconut Grove, the Delta King, Fanny Ann’s Saloon, Fat City Bar & Café, The Other Office, La Terraza, Laughs Unlimited, O’Mally’s Pub and others will open up their doors to give you a taste of Mardi Gras, Sacto-style. Each spot will have live music, whether it’s Cajun, rock ‘n’ roll or jazz. For more specifics or to buy tickets in advance, check Oldsacramento.com. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the night of the event; they can also be purchased at River City Saloon, Laughs Unlimited or O’Mally’s Pub. If there’s a chance you’ll be too inebriated to remember how to get back home, the Holiday Inn at Capitol Plaza is offering up a Mardi Gras room package just for you.

Photo by Fred Abercrombie

TASTE

Lagunitas’ Beer Circus at Dad’s Kitchen Beer? Circus? Of course we couldn’t let the Taste section run without some mention of Sacramento’s third annual beer week! Stop by Dad’s Kitchen on Friday night to see attractions from Lagunitas’ renowned beer circus, hosted by Sacramento Lagunitas rep Justin Seybold. Just $6 gets you a logo pint glass that you can refill for $4 throughout the night with your pick of Lagunitas brews. The madness will flow from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 2. Dad’s Kitchen is located at 2968 Freeport Boulevard. Keep in mind beer week runs Feb. 24 through March 4, so if you can’t make this one, keep an eye out for some of the other events. Visit Sacramentobeerweek.com for more information, or to join the mailing list if you really want to stay on top of things.

Local Musicans & Comedians Sound Off at The Cave

Get your fill of local comedy, music and art Friday night at Sacramento’s new art hangout, The Cave! The Cave’s grand opening party will feature an eclectic mix of music by Graham Vinson, Autumn Sky, the Hungry and EGG, and comedy skits by Johnny Taylor and more. Photographic works by Emily Kiyomi and Elsie Campisi of Tuff Teal Photography will also be on display. The event is all ages. A $5 to $10 donation is recommended. The party starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 11:30. The Cave is located at 3512 Stockton Boulevard. For more information call (916) 317-9999.

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Skinner Sign His New Book at Dragatomi

Johnny Taylor

Autumn Sky

HEAR

SEE

If you’ve lived in Midtown for any significant amount of time, surely you’ve spotted the art of local artist Skinner somewhere at some point, whether you knew it was his or not. Glowing-eyed creatures, monsters with jaws full of fangs, goblins, lots of colors…these are all telltale signs of Skinner’s work. Those huge murals that cover the sides of Sacramento’s independent coffee shop Javalounge, for instance, are courtesy of him. If you dig the ‘80s, wild colors and the absurd, then you will be thrilled to know Skinner is signing his latest 172-page book Every Man is My Enemy at Dragatomi. For $30, you can buy a copy, which contains more than 250 of his illustrations.

Between 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 25 he will be available to sign books and doodle anything your heart desires. Dragatomi is located at 2317 J Street in Midtown.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

7

Audio Express — Sacramento Submerge — 2/13/2012

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

For those of you who have ever wanted to control what songs the radio station you’re listening to plays (who hasn’t?), you would be well advised to set your dial to 94.7 FM and and save the short code 31858 on your mobile phone. According to a press release from Radio 94.7 dated Feb. 9, the station is conducting a “live, real-time music survey that is putting listeners in control of what is played.” Listeners can use their phone to “like” or “dislike” every song played on the station by texting either word to 31858 while the song is playing. If you navigate to Facebook. com/radio947 or Radio947.net, you can see the activity of reactions. “The number of texts we get for each song varies,” Radio 94.7’s Jim Fox told Submerge. “Most get an overwhelming number of ‘likes.’ If, after a few plays, half are ‘dislike’ and half are ‘like,’ we’ll play that song less.” But what if two-thirds or more text in “dislike,” you ask?

“The people have spoken, and we’ll stop playing that song,” says Fox. The station pointed out that so far songs from artists like The Black Keys (who play in Sacramento on May 5) and Florence + the Machine (also live in the area soon, on April 18 in Davis), as well as newer cuts from bands The Joy Formidable and Gotye are doing well. On the flip side, songs from artists like Blues Traveler, Beastie Boys, REM, Bob Marley and House of Pain are getting more dislikes. Apparently Radio 94.7 is the only station in the country, according to their press release, that is putting which songs it plays in the hands of the listeners in this way.

Please, we beg of you, just don’t text and drive.

Wait until a red light!

Our good friends at the downtown Sacramento all-ages music venue Ace of Spades recently celebrated their one-year anniversary, which made Submerge think, “Damn, it’s only been a year?!?”

We literally cannot count how many amazing shows we’ve seen there in the past 12 months!

The venue’s debut on Feb. 9, 2011 with Rob Zombie was a sold-out show, a term the venue would get used to. From there they hosted everyone from Tesla to Deftones, Snoop Dogg to Mastodon and countless local and regional acts as well.

Pollstar, the concert tour industry’s leading trade publication, recently named Ace of Spades No. 52 on their 2011 year-end worldwide ticket sales top100 club venue list. “What? There’s 51 clubs ahead of us? We got work to do!” joked Ace’s co-owner Bret Bair. “In all seriousness, we’re extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish in our first year and to be the No. 52 club is awesome and feels very rewarding.” Only a few California venues beat out Ace on Pollstar’s list, most notably San Francisco’s The Independent, which snagged the No. 30 spot. Bair mentioned that they weren’t surprised with the accolade for two reasons: They pride themselves on booking artists from a wide range of genres, and Sacramento is a top 25 market. “Eric [Rushing, co-owner] and I always felt that the city and its passionate music fans would support a larger music venue if we could get the talent, and they have!” Looking back on the venue’s first successful year, Bair mentions that the most memorable moment for him was when the Snoop Dogg show came together perfectly. “I actually stopped for a moment to reflect and thought to myself, ‘Holy shit, Snoop Dogg’s on our stage rappin’ ‘Gin and Juice!’” “I would like to give the City of Sacramento and its suburbs a shout-out!” Bair said, continuing with, “We love the fact that fans keep coming to the shows and having a good time, and that’s what it should be about at the end of the day, getting lost in the music and having a good time. We also want to thank all the local artists who have played our local shows or have supported some of the bigger national shows; without them, we would be out of business by now!” Learn more about Ace of Spades by visiting Aceofspadessac.com or by checking out their line-up in their ad on pages 16 and 17.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The Optimistic Pessimist How President Gingrich Solved All of Our Problems

by Going to the Moon

Bocephus Chigger bocephus@submergemag.com

Soft music woke him that day, just as it had on so many others. It was 5 a.m., and his aides would be by soon with the morning’s report. He lifted his bulbous head from the softest pillow he had ever laid upon and stared at one of the many mirrors he kept nearby. “Sure, the exterior is magnificent,” he thought, “but I also have an incredible mind!”

President Gingrich had been in office for two years. During that time, he went through two wives, two mistresses, two vice presidents, two hearts and too much other shit to remember. So far, Newt’s presidency had not been the graceful dance he had envisioned, but he reminded himself that when you dream big, nothing ever really lives up to your expectations.

That morning, dreams were at the forefront of his thoughts. Last night he had had that dream again, the one about the Moon, only this time it was different. It was so much more vivid… It almost seemed real (or at least real enough to a man who had never set foot on the Moon). This time, the Moon was covered in cities, each one flying an American flag. For some reason, the people only ate moon pies, but he figured that was just his ice cream sandwich fetish mucking up his dream world.

He’d been having variations of this dream for several months now. Clearly, his subconscious was trying to tell him something, but he hadn’t figured it all out until this morning. He had thought his moon dream was a glimpse into the future, but what Newt had really seen was a solution to today’s problems.

All he had to do was make his dream real.

The economy had faltered under Gingrich.

His jobs program, “Minors as Miners,” had stalled when children refused to enter the workforce. The Moon offered a new way to tackle the problem of unemployment. He could mine it, farm it, sell its moon dust and eventually even build casinos, amusement parks and strip malls on it. It would be a family destination to rival Vegas, Disneyland and perhaps even Dollywood!

All of these business opportunities would do wonders for the national debt. Newt’s

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previous idea, a balance transfer to his Tiffany’s charge account, was quickly shot down by his bank. With so many recent wives and mistresses, the president had already maxed out his line of credit. Now he could rely on moon tourism and the export of precious and (hopefully) highly addictive moon dust.

Gingrich was sure moon dust would show promise in medical applications. His original solution to the healthcare crisis was to have all U.S. citizens learn one medical skill. He believed that if people wanted healthcare so badly, that they would share their skills and help each other out. It had been disastrous.

Newt hoped moon dust would be a modern day wonder tonic allowing him to get back to his snake oil salesmen roots. If nothing else, the Moon gave him a good place to keep people with easily communicable diseases.

Immigration issues had continued to dog him during his first two years in office. It seemed like, no matter how tough a measure he offered up, it was never enough. The children had rebelled when he asked them to fly border patrol drones to hunt illegal immigrants. His 1.21-gigawatt laser border fence managed to stop time on a couple of armadillos and possibly a chupacabra, but did little to stop actual people. What the laser fence couldn’t do, threatening deportation to the Moon’s leper colony surely would.

America had to be protected from these freedom stealers and sickies, but she also needed protection from terrorists. The United States of America needed a laser-equipped moon base to keep an ever watchful eye on its enemies, whom had seemed to multiply since Newt took office. To further gird his loins, orbital death rays would be installed as well.

His aides congratulated him on his epiphany. He had nearly solved every problem they faced and all with one idea. “The only thing missing,” the aides told President Gingrich, “is the environment.” At that, Gingrich let out a brief chuckle and said to them, “Look how fruitful the Moon is, and it’s desolate. The Earth will be here forever.” And that is how President Gingrich solved all of our problems by going to the Moon.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

9

Driving Force I

t’s a quiet Saturday night in New Era Park. Smack in the middle of this

seemingly lifeless block between D and E streets is the firehouse, a

distinct two-story brick building with ghostly white faces engraved

Mean Doe Green (aka Doey Rock) has tasted success, but it hasn’t sated his appetite Words Jenn Walker • PHotos Roderick Cooney

above the front entry. This is the home of SoundCap Audio, the tracking

and mixing studio that has produced albums by some of Sacramento’s top hip-hop artists. I’m here to meet with Sacramento’s veteran MC Mean Doe Green. You may also know him as Doey Rock.

Born Kahallie Oden, Jon Doe was the first moniker Green chose for himself when he started rapping. That soon evolved into Doey Rock.

Incidentally he dropped “Mean Doe Green” in a rhyme, and as someone who adopts different personas in his music, he has embraced Mean Doe Green as an alter ego ever since.

“It was a way to reintroduce myself to people,” he later explains.

“But I’m never afraid of Doey Rock, because he did a lot for me, too, alter ego-wise.”

Back at SoundCap Audio, engineer Pete Rodriguez answers the door and leads the way past the sound booth to the mixing room. The place is dimly lit and quiet. We shoot the breeze while we wait for Green to arrive. The young kids, some of them as young as 17, are the ones really tearing it up in the local hip-hop scene, he tells me.

Minutes later Green strolls in and makes his way to the black leather couch across from Rodriguez. His voice booms, loud and lucid, but he’s all jokes and smiles. This place is a safe haven for his music, he says, where he feels comfortable enough being himself while recording.

He and Rodriguez have been a team since Green began recording at Sound Cap more than two years ago. Green’s 2010 release Mind Candy Re-wrapped, as well as mixtapes Black Suits and Shovels and Hard Hats and Hand Grenades, both released last July, were recorded here.

Now the two are working on the final touches of Shade Proof, Green’s upcoming LP, which is scheduled for release on Feb. 21.

It has been a three- to four-month project that has resulted in a very aggressive, “in-your-face” approach, Green later discloses, which he says will likely make listeners either love or hate him. Teaser tracks “Be Great” and “Thankful” are already posted online, both of which have attracted attention in the hip-hop blogosphere.

Though it features the likes of R&B artists Hello World, Raekwon, Tommy Nova and Arty Fresha, Shade Proof is meant to highlight his capabilities as an MC, front and center, Green says.

“I felt like I should put more of myself [into it], because I think a lot of albums that come out just have too many features,” he explains. “Hiphop albums these days are just about who you have on the album, as opposed to the artist that’s presenting the album.”

Green only exposed Submerge to four select tracks from Shade Proof.

“I’m picky as fuck about my music being played for people,” he says.

But in those tracks alone, which include “Be Great,” Green opens up over grimy beats. And there’s a lot to open up about. He had a neglectful father. He grew up in the hood and has seen his share of “wild shit.” He watched family members fall victim to drug abuse. He watched someone get killed in his driveway.

At the end of the day he’s a street dude, he says. But that’s how he met Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan at age 17, before anyone knew who Wu Tang Clan was. That’s how he got introduced to the game of hip-hop, and he’s been at it ever since.

“I’ve been feeding kids off hip-hop, and I’m proud of that,” he reminds.

Mid-conversation, Green asks Rodriguez to bust out the weed.

Rodriguez pulls out a massive nug the length of a pen, and the two get to business rolling a joint.

“Welcome to the city of trees, God dammit,” Green says.

Soon enough they’re getting ripped, and Green is answering my questions with more and more ease. Next thing I know he’s getting stuff off his chest, stuff about the commercialization of hip-hop and about the passion that fuels his songs. The following gives a taste of the conversation.

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

“I’m not going to rap about binges and mansions and luxuries, this, that and the other. Now I’ve got to find pockets of, ‘Oh, I feel hungry,’ or ‘Oh, I heard a Chuuwee song, damn that little mothafucka tight! I gotta do that.’ But it’s healthy competition, not like I’m hating on him, but that inspires me now.”

– Mean Doe Green

RESTaURaNT & NIghT clUB

2708 J Street • Sacramento 916.441.4693 • Harlows.com TUESDAY

Valentines Day Dinner

FEB 14

ViVian Lee

5PM $10

STorM lArgE

WEDNESDAY

FEB 15

(of Pink Martini)

7PM $15

WEDNESDAY

FEB 15 10PM $15

CaMP LO SIZZLING SIRENS BURLESQUE REVIEW

THUrSDAY

FEB 16 8PM $12

CASH’D oUT

FrIDAY

FEB 17 7PM $15

“tHe neXt Best tHinG to JoHnny CasH”

FrIDAY

aRDen PaRK ROOTS

FEB 17

CoNSCIoUS SoUlS

10PM $10

DEAN-O-HOLICS

SATUrDAY

FEB 18

“tHe rat PaCk triBUte”

7PM $10

When do you think [Shade Proof] will be done?

It’ll be out on the 21st, because that’s the date we set, and I don’t have a choice. And when it’s out I’ll be happy with it, because I work well in pressured situations for some odd reason. But I’ve been MCing for so long at this point finding comfort zones is different now, because quite frankly I’m not in the same hunger state that I was in four years ago.

What do you mean?

Yo, MCing is about hunger. This shit was created because people didn’t have shit to do when they was starving and they wanted to put their talents on display. That’s what MCing is about, “I have something to say, hear my voice.” The greatest artists were hungry artists, if you think about whether it’s Tupac and Big, or go back further, Run DMC or Raekwon or Afrika Bambaataa, or whoever. They was starving, not only for attention, but: “Yo, I have a talent to put on display, I have a message. This is my style.” Hip-hop is about your style and your energy as a person.

So me doing this for so long, and doing it successfully, you have to find hunger, you have to have a reason. Driven… I have pockets of, “Well I don’t even like rhymes,” because I don’t have shit to say. I done fuckin’ made it to the suburbs. That nigga from Elder Creek? Where I’m living at? Damn! I’m so realistic with my music, I don’t have anything to cry about or complain about, so it’s hard for me to find pockets of hunger. But let an MC think he’s better than me. Those are my driving forces now.

It’s different driving forces as a real MC, because I’m not going to write no fabricated shit. I’m not going to rap about binges and mansions and luxuries, this, that and the other. Now I’ve got to find pockets of, “Oh, I feel hungry,” or “Oh, I heard a Chuuwee song, damn that little mothafucka tight! I gotta do that.” But it’s healthy competition, not like I’m hating on him, but that inspires me now.

What were you thinking about when you wrote [“Merlot Murder”]?

I felt like there was some anger in that song.

Anger toward hip-hop, right?

SubmergeMag.com

Mhmm.

You know what? As much as I felt like I gave to hip-hop, and I tried to stay true to it, I felt like it kind of stabbed me in the back in ways. I feel like it didn’t afford me opportunities that it should have. I don’t know if it was being from Sacramento, I don’t know what it was, but I feel like honestly, as true as I stay to this sport, look at what hip-hop is right now. You got a lot of pop bullshit out, you know, it’s just so watered down.

What’s the ultimate example of watered-down hip hop to you?

When you want a better life for your family and where you come from, I don’t blame people for doing what they do to make money.

I guess I’m just so personal with hip-hop that I hate that it comes at the expense of hip-hop. So, watered down to me would be—and it’s a thin line when I say this and it’s a slippery slope—anything that goes commercial to the point that you know what you’re broadcasting is not from the heart. The problem with saying names is you don’t know what their family situation was, and I always am careful about that… See it’s a lot of driving forces as to why we do what we do in this game. The problem is, look what hip-hop has become because of the money and because of the bling-bling era.

I guess I would lay the blame there, the bling-bling era of hip-hop fucked it all up. Anytime you give people with nothing a vision of people that didn’t have nothing and now they got something, anytime you broadcast that too much, it becomes, now the people with nothing are rapping about shit they don’t have because they want to look like that. And it just misconstrued every damn thing.

Why do you think you weren’t [rapping about personal stuff] before?

I just wasn’t. I was just on the MC shit, let’s focus on the art Right before press time, and this and that. We’re not Submerge learned that Shade going to talk about the street.

Proof would likely be pushed I didn’t want my gimmick to back to a Feb. 28 release. It will be street shit or gangsta shit, I be available on iTunes, Djbooth. don’t claim to be a gangsta in net and Datpiff.com. A CD release the first place… I’m not doing it show will take place March 16 at for any specific reason. I guess Harlow’s in Sacramento. Check at this point I just feel like I with Harlows.com for details as should get it off my chest. they become available.

muSICAL CHArIS AND zuHg

SATUrDAY

FEB 18 10PM $10

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FEB 19 7PM $22

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FEB 23

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FEB 24 & FEB 25

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8PM $25 Adv

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FEB 29

NoTHINgToN

6:30PM $18

THUrSDAY

MAr 1 7PM $10

sPeCial all aGes sHow!

CHrIS tApEr

COMING SOON mar 3 alasdair Fraser w/ natalie Haas mar 3 the cheeseballs mar 5 Blitzen trapper mar 6 Gappy ranks mar 8 Ivan neville’s Dumpstaphunk & monophonics mar 9 Howlin rain w/ the Soft White Sixties

mar 10 Hawaiian Legends tour(6pm) mar 10 midnight Players(10pm) mar 15 Sizzling Sirens

mar 16 robert Schwartzman(of rooney) & Brian Bell(of Weezer)(6pm) mar 16 mean Doe Green(10pm) mar 17 Girlyman (6pm) mar 17 Vokab Kompany (10pm) mar 18 Umphrey’s mcGee mar 20 cheryl Wheeler mar 22 mykal rose mar 23 the nibblers & Skerik mar 24 JoeL the Band

VIP BOOTHS AVAILABLE CONTACT CLUB FOR DETAILS

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mar 25 Western Lights mar 30 tom rigney & Flambeau apr 5 fIreHoSe apr 6 Jeanette Haris apr 7 mazzy Star apr 12 Brokedown In Bakersfield apr 14 thomas Dolby apr 15 todd Snider apr 16 Givers apr 17 Yonder mountain String Band apr 25 midnite

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caLL For reSerVatIonS Includes cover charge For most Shows

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

11

Photo by Carolyn Jaime

Photo by Adam Saake

Burlap Brew

Ruhstaller Beer Tastes of Sacramento’s Rich Beer History Words Adam Saake

J-E Paino, a Sacramento native by way of San Francisco, is the proprietor of Ruhstaller Beer, an up and coming Sacramento beer company whose name and history date back to the 1800s when Sacramento was a true Wild West beer town. While studying at UC Davis, Paino fell in the love with the rich and bountiful story of the Sacramento beer industry and how west of the Mississippi, we were home to the largest brewing facility—Buffalo Brewery where the present day Sacramento Bee is located—larger in fact than Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Mo. To add, Sacramento had numerous brewing facilities that were in full production, brewing and shipping out beer to thirsty Americans.

“Sacramento’s never done anything better than make beer,” says Paino. “We were made to make beer.”

That we were—and still are today. It all makes sense, really.

Consider that Sacramento has dark, nutrient-rich Delta soil, two rivers intersecting the city, trains constantly whistling and crisscrossing the streets and, until a while back, acres and acres of hops and barley growing all throughout our surrounding areas. There’s farmland, transportation and the climate for key ingredients. This isn’t breaking news to your grandparents because they remember some of this stuff, but the younger generations haven’t been exposed to this very important piece of Sacramento’s history because there isn’t much record of it and the schools sure as hell aren’t assigning home brewing as class projects.

“And there’s absolutely no remnant of it. No one talks about it, you read history books—gone,” says Paino with fervor.

Paino seems to be on a personal mission to change that, and he’s doing it in the best way he sees fit; by making beer that pays homage to this time and place.

While Paino was a student at UC Davis, he began a project that consisted of researching the history of Sacramento. He realized that there was this lack of information and he kept coming up with the same results.

“They all went the same way,” says Paino. “John Sutter lands, some Indians, lots of flooding, tomatoes, cows and all of a sudden there’s a governor’s mansion built and we’re the capital of California.”

And hell! Throw in the trains and trees and that’s a great history, something that many of us pride ourselves on and more often than not becomes the talking point of what makes Sacramento what it is. But Paino kept poking his nose around and eventually he struck upon a different version of what Sacramento’s history once was.

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“Somehow I stumbled on a book by Ed Carrol. He was doing his thesis at Sacramento State. He wrote about the history of Sacramento, the beer industry in Sacramento,” explains Paino.

The Sacramento History Foundation ended up publishing a portion of Carrol’s thesis, which Paino read and was inspired by.

“It was phenomenal,” exclaims Paino.

The figurehead that continued to pop up was a gentleman by the name of Captain Frank Ruhstaller. He left home with his brother to flee the constraints of family duties and commitment. According to Paino’s research, the brothers left Switzerland because they didn’t want to be priests like their father had envisioned; they were set on brewing beer. Frank bounced from his homeland to the East Coast of the United States and eventually ended up in Sacramento, where he was part of Buffalo Brewery. He eventually broke off from Buffalo and started his own craft brewery called Ruhstaller where his “flagship beer was called Gilt Edge Lager.” The focus was on premium beer and making it the beer of Sacramento.

From there, Paino’s direction moved toward actually making a beer. It all began with Charlie Bamforth, the guru of fermentation sciences at Sacramento State, who is responsible for more than a few brewers’ careers. To even begin to touch on his influence and/or career attributes, well, that’s an entirely different article. Paino came to Bamforth looking for guidance and Bamforth lent him some of his literature—some science and some history—and Paino read both.

But Paino is no brewer and the history was more to his liking. “Well you’re going to have trouble making beer,” Bamforth said to Paino.

He then recommended a few candidates, and suddenly Paino was on the path to turning his love of Sacramento beer history into an actual drinkable product.

One was a gentleman by the name of Peter Hoey and the other was a woman by the name of Lindsay Guerdrum, a star student of Bamforth, who at the time was being offered a position at New Belgium Brewing Company. Yes, the New Belgium as in Fat Tire. Paino wasn’t in the position to match that offer, nor was he going to hold her back.

“We said, we’re the little guy. You can always work for the little guy, you only get one shot working for the big guy,” says Paino.

So Hoey was the man for the job. He and Paino got along well in the first place, and so began production of Ruhstaller Beer. Paino’s philosophy was focused on keeping the product locally produced, something not too common in the Sacramento brewing community. And with this, the expression of place could speak for itself.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

“Let’s go find the best ingredients we can, source them locally as possible and let’s go make a beer that isn’t just a one liner but it’s more sophisticated. It kind of has a nose and kind of has a beginning middle and end, and when you’re done with it you want to read the book over again,” says Paino.

Paino is passionately telling me all of this as he sits across from me at a high top table in the corner of a very crowded and noisy Grange Restaurant, tucked underneath the elegant and very boutique Citizen Hotel. He’s a clean-cut guy, tightly buttoned collared shirt tucked into his jeans and he’s sipping tea not beer. I later figured out that he knew he was going to talk my ear off for an hour about his beer and Sacramento’s beer history. He was sort of warming up like a vocalist might do before a concert. “He looks like the guy from Cash Cab but with darker features,” said a few bartenders at Grange, joking lightly when I asked what he looked like. Paino was just about the only guy I hadn’t met or spoken to that was involved with Ruhstsaller. I was already greatly familiar with their PR and social media aficionado, Andrew Calisterio, as well as the aforementioned brewer, Peter Hoey, who seems to have his fingers in every kettle around town these days.

I tried to contact him for this story, and he seemed apologetic for being out of touch, being what he called “a moving target these days.” Hoey stopped consulting for Ruhstaller in November, he told Submerge in an email, but all of the recipes for their current lineup of beers are still his.

The current lineup consists of their 1881 California red ale, the Captain California Black IPA and the wet hopped beer, Hop Sac, which is a seasonal beer.

Rushstaller is still a fledgling beer company, having been in business for roughly two and a half years and actually making beer for nine months. Their product is solid but the future is wild like the history off which they feed. Their crudely spray-painted logo that dons their wooden mobile taps and kegs is indicative of the rustic vibe they seek to portray. Even the bottles that can be found on the shelves of Whole Foods, Nugget Market, Pangaea and Corti Brothers Look out for Ruhstaller events are draped in burlap, a material during Sacramento Beer Week including collaborations with that Paino says “holds California Grange and Charlie Bamforth, together” and is “the working man’s Magpie Catering, Mulvaney’s fabric.” This is a beer that is meant Building and Loan and the to speak to the people. Listen up infamous Rex Bikes. For a full list of events, go to Sacramento, this is your beer.

Sacramentobeerweek.com

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

On Track With The Off Track

Track 7 Brewing Company sticks to its home brewing roots All hail to the home brewer, the humble beginning of so many great beers we enjoy today. From an independent and environmentally conscious Sierra Nevada Brewing Company headed by Ken Grossman, who like many of today’s brewers started out with experimental 5-gallon batches, to home brewer Sam Calagione who grew the small Deleware brewery Dogfish Head into one of the most recognized and respected craft beer names in America.

In short, great beer begins with a love of brewing and a passion to share it with those who love to drink it. Geoff Scott and Ryan Graham of Track 7 Brewing Company are among the ranks of homebrewers-turned-legit who share this same philosophy. Their recently opened brewery and taproom in the Land Park area, just over the Sutterville Pass, is sure to become an off the grid destination for beer drinkers and has already been established as a local watering hole for its surrounding neighbors.

Scott says that Track 7 has been open since the end of December and the space they occupy, an industrial warehouse with a rollup door, isn’t just a brewery.

“We got a special use permit from the city that allows us to manufacture and then have a tap room,” says Scott.

This mixed-use space creates something similar to what larger, more industrial-sized breweries attempt to accomplish in their accompanying restaurants or public view spaces. The difference is that Track 7’s space feels like you’re sitting and relaxing in the back yard of your friend’s house, except there are fermentation tanks off in the near distance making the delicious suds you’re savoring. The vibe is immediately neighborly. Couples cruise in with their dogs for a pint and groups of friends meet after a long day to unwind and chat with Geoff and his wife Rebecca, who greets guests from behind the bar and pours the day’s offerings from the orange and chrome taps.

Both Scott and Graham have been brewing beer for eight years. They started out by collecting their some-odd 15 batches of beer and having parties at their house where their friends would come over and enjoy the duo’s creations. But it wasn’t just their friends’ enjoyment and a collective skill for brewing good beer that motivated them to take the leap to brewery status.

“People said, your beer is really good, and at the same time our wives pretty much said, you have too much stuff at the house so SubmergeMag.com

you need to move it out. So it kind of worked out that way,” says Scott with a grin.

The transition from home brewing to having an actual brewery and operating on a larger scale wasn’t that difficult for the two in terms of process. Brewing was brewing. What did throw them for the loop was the assembly required to actually get started.

“One thing we struggled with was, the guy who built the brew house for us, he kind of just gave it to us and said here you go. We had to do all the piping underneath and it was like a giant puzzle trying to put it all together. We went off of one picture,” says Scott.

But the brewery did come together and the beer has been pumping out. Both Scott and Graham have different styles and tastes, which balances out their selections. Scott is more into IPAs and stouts like their Soulman Stout or Big 4 Strong Ale, where Graham gravitates more toward the Belgium style beers like their Alkali Wit that boasts flavors of coriander and orange. These beers, along with the rest of their concoctions, are all carried over from their days of brewing small batches and experimenting. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

“It’s interesting. Some beers like the Wit we probably tinkered around 25 plus times, and others like the Big 4 were born on the second or third try and that’s how they ended up,” explains Scott.

The four founders are dedicated to community and take pride in being a Sacramento brewery. Local artists like Skinner and Jesse Baggs have designed their bottle labels; their taproom table, a recovered railroad track and glass top, was also designed by a local artist. The name itself, Track 7, is derivative of railroad slang that refers to being out on the furthest track. Scott and Graham, two very down-to-earth guys, had a connection to this slang and felt it appropriate for their new venture. The beers they brew speak to their humble nature; thoughtfully crafted with Track 7 Brewing Co.’s taproom is located at 3747 West Pacific balance and unique flavor.

Avenue, Suite F, Sacramento. The All eyes will be on Track 7 to brewery has a few events lined up for Sacramento Beer Week, see what they grow their new including the release of a new brewery into. beer Trainwreck Belgian IPA, which will be available at Track 7

HOT ITALIAN MIDTOWN

|

.NET

Words & photos Adam Saake

PUBLIC MARKET

starting Feb. 24. For more info on what they’ll be up to during Beer Week, go to Track7brewing.com.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

13

Think of us as your get out of jail free card.

444-2222

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

Comedian Doug Stanhope never abided by the rules, and we wouldn’t have it any other way Words Corey Bloom

I

n one word, Doug Stanhope is polarizing. If you are a fan of his work, you probably think he is a comedic genius, unparalleled by any other active in his craft.

Should you fall on the other side of the spectrum you probably think he is a vile, drunken psychotic who should be jailed for abuse of the First Amendment. It’s not a conscious effort on his part to be a polarizing comedian, though, and while ultimately he is an entertainer, he is not an actor playing a role. His ingenuity, love it or hate it, is in his sincerity. He flaunts his flaws and mocks his shortcomings, and though his views of the world may come off as bleak, they are not shortsighted shock value statements. His approach is unfiltered tact; nothing is off limits, and if you are offended, you probably shouldn’t have been listening in the first place.

With more than two decades of stand-up experience, 11 live albums and a resume that spans the BBC and The Man Show, Stanhope is no slouch. He exists within his own lane, and with a DIY approach to his profession has established himself as an undisputed comedic heavyweight. On the stage is where he thrives, and from Feb. 23 through 25, he will be headlining the Punch Line, testing out new material before he heads overseas for a tour of the United Kingdom. In anticipation of the gig, the following conversation conveniently took place immediately following the State of the Union address.

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

So when you watch something like the State of the Union address are you solely as a comedian, or is there a part of you that is watching as a citizen?

Completely as a comic, especially on Twitter. It was funny to watch my brain work actually. This live tweeting thing was new to me, though. It was like open heckling. To keep up with what he’s saying, and type as clumsily as I type, and then to read what others are saying so I don’t copy them, I just felt like, “Oh shit, I’m taking too long.” It was like playing bingo with too many cards, and I hate that I know what that reference means.

Do you think you could do your stage show with a John Boehner type of figure behind you?

There is always a John Boehner type behind me, and it’s the negative version of me judging all of my jokes saying, “You’ve said that before! Everyone is bored with you!” And there is a Joe Biden on the other side, the angel on my shoulder saying, “Just take the check.”

Do you ever hit dry spells or do you find that the political climate and endless stream of social bullshit provides you with enough material to never run out?

Oh yeah, I’ve been in a dry spell for years. The things that I’m passionate about start drying out, that’s simple mathematics. The longer I do comedy I start running out of ways to talk about things.

Like over-population, I don’t know how to find a new angle on that, but it’s something that really bothers me. I’ve found ways in other stuff, but I can’t keep saying the same shit again and again. Over 20 years, I don’t want to fake being angry about things I’m not passionate about, #BillMaher.

One of my favorite lines of the speech was, “America is back and anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about.” Would you like to elaborate on that?

Yeah, I mean, it’s the exact same America I’ve always lived in. I’m 45 now, and it’s all the same shit every year. Every year we need to change something or stop something, and then I realize that none of this will affect my life. Nothing that any president has done or talked about doing has affected my daily life. Taxes, yeah maybe I have $20 more, or $20 less in my bank account at the end of the year, but it doesn’t affect me day to day. I’m sure it does some people, but they play by the rules, which I never did. I don’t mean like, “Oh, I play outside the lines, the rebel,” I just live a weird life.

Have you always been like that?

Yeah, I quit school when I was 16, but I had to live at home until I was 18 by law. As soon as I turned 18 I jumped on a train with $400 and went to Los Angeles to be an actor. That lasted four months, moved to Florida for four months. I did fraud telemarketing and just fucked off until I started comedy when I was 23.

What inspired you to blaze your own path like that?

I have no idea. I was always a weird kid. I was very similar to what I am now, which doesn’t really fit for a kid. I had a really dark sense of humor. I still have a framed letter from my school psychologist on my wall, hold on a second, let me read it. The second paragraph reads, “I very strongly believe that Douglas is in need of professional help. As you know he is extremely negative about getting help.” I was just being funny, drawing fucked up doodles.

You know how you would trace your hand? Well I would trace my hand, but move three of the fingers over to the side like they just got chopped off and then make pools of blood around them. I thought it was cool. They thought I was a psychotic.

SubmergeMag.com

Photo By Chris Saunders

“I was always a weird kid. I was very similar to what I am now, which doesn’t really fit for a kid. I had a really dark sense of humor.

I still have a framed letter from my school psychologist on my wall, hold on a second, let me read it. The second paragraph reads, ‘I very strongly believe that Douglas is in need of professional help. As you know he is extremely negative about getting help.’”

– Doug Stanhope I love that you had the foresight to hold onto that letter.

Yeah, definitely. When I first got into comedy I had no press pack so I would put this letter in there and highlight the sentence I just read.

So were you the funny guy then?

No, people thought I was creepy. A couple people thought I was funny but most were creeped out by me. So I guess with that, I have the same ratio of fan base I have now. I had a cult following in school, but I was generally observed as way too dark for the room.

You have very strong beliefs and opinions. Do you want people to share all of your beliefs?

Yes, I do. Or I want to share theirs. I just see things a certain way, and I wish that was normal. I don’t like feeling different all the time. I’m not the goth kid who is dyeing my hair and putting on temporary tattoos to stand out. I want to be normal. I want to be able to put on my iPod at a party and have more than three songs play before someone goes, “What the fuck is this!?” I want to fit in and have more friends.

I feel like when people describe your work they only highlight the debaucherous side, but no one ever mentions that you are really smart, which I think is a huge discredit to what you do.

Unless you disagree with me, then I’m just a drunken idiot. That’s one thing that really bothers me, because I do think people who disagree with me will always blame it on alcohol as if I would have completely different opinions if I didn’t have a cocktail at 7:30 p.m. Christopher

Hitchens was the only guy I know smart enough to overcome the [drunken idiot image]. He was one of the guys I wanted to get drunk with before I died. Him and Bill Murray. Hunter S. Thompson was fantastic, but you would never want to be him to be that brilliant, and I think the same goes for Charles Bukowski. They aren’t people you want to emulate, because you know their lives were miserable. I would rather put out shitty art and have a nice life.

Your comedy is pretty boundless. Generally speaking, do you give a fuck?

Well, I’ve become angrier which is the antithesis to not giving a fuck, but it’s usually pointless rage. Patrick Cox of Taxmasters, every time I see that commercial with his fat bullfrog throat, I get angry. I call them and accuse him of looking weird at my kid through the TV all the time. I get angry at really stupid things, and I know they are stupid, but it’s actual rage. I get more scared of people and things too. Generally, I give a fuck in a desperate and helpless way. I want things to be different, and there is no way to do it, and that makes me angry. I’ve given up hope.

I don’t know if I don’t give a Doug Stanhope will play five fuck, but I’ve given up hope. shows in three days at Punch Line Comedy Club in Sacramento beginning Thursday, Feb. 23.

Shows will start at 8 p.m. (all three days) with 10 p.m. shows on Friday, Feb. 24 and Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets range from $18.50–$23.50. You can purchase them through Punchlinesac.com or Livenation.com.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

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Oh Sleeper • Skip the FOreplay PAint oveR PictuRes

White minoRities Gary BuSy amBer alert

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

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i the miGhty COmmOn CrOOkS oveRWAtch the WinteR foRmAl

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m o n day

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Plus sPeciAl guests

boggAn

t h u r s day

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Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

21+ the free

cheeseballs

Plus sPeciAl guest

st patriCk’s day CElEbration sat u r day march 17

m o n day

march 19

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s u n day

June 17

tickets available @ dimple records, the beat, armadillo (davis) online: aceofspadessac.com

w E d n E s day

march 21

SubmergeMag.com

s u n day

april 1

w E d n E s day

april 25

by phone: 1.877.Gnd.Ctrl or 916.443.9202

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

17

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

904 15th Street 443.2797

Between I & J • Downtown Sacramento

music, comedy & misc. Calendar

feb 14 - feb 26 TUES

14

Bill Mylar 5:30PM

Daniel ellsworth

& the Great lakes 9PM

WED

acoustic oPen Mic 5:30PM 15 MerleJaGGer 9PM X trio 5PM THURS 16 true MaD north 9PM Pailer & fratis 5:30PM FRI

17

Volker

strifler 9PM Johnny Guitar knoX 5PM

SaT

18 SUn

karen loVel y 9PM Blues JaM 4PM

19

lonesoMe locoMotiVe 8PM

TUES

Quinn heDGes 5:30PM

21

islanD of Black &white 9PM

WED

acoustic oPen Mic 5:30PM keri carr BanD9PM X trio 5PM

22

THURS

23 FRI

FEb. 13 – 27 submergemag.com/calendar use a qr scanner on your smart phone to view calendar online

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.

Javalounge Poppet, Letters, Buk Buk Bigups, 8 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.

Old Ironsides Strapped for Cash w/ Nuance, 7:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

2.14 2.15 Tuesday

Wednesday

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Vivian Lee, 5 p.m.

Mix Ryan Hernandez, 6:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Reggie Ginn, Erin and the Project, Bernadette Conant, 8:30 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, 8 p.m.

Sol Collective Youth DJ Class, 4 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Bill Mylar, 5:30 p.m.; Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, 9 p.m.

Townhouse GRIMEY w/ Skulltrane, Lotus Drops, Rogue, Who Cares, DJ Whores, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Loudon Wainwright III, Leo Kottke, 8 p.m.

The Blue Lamp The Henhouse Prowlers Traditional Bluegrass, 8 p.m.

Bows and Arrows Everything is Terrible w/ MOM, 8 p.m.

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

Colonial Theatre T. Mills, Minus Gravity, 7 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

District 30 HUMP Wednesday w/ DJ Elements, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Traditional Irish Jam Session, 8 p.m.

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

Harlow’s Storm Large, 7 p.m.; Camp Lo, Timothy Rhyme w/ DJ Rated R, A.M.I.T.S., Odapt, 10 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke w/ Jeff And Dawn, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s The Three Way, 9 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Playboy School, Kelly Rogers, 8:30 p.m.

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

Powerhouse Pub City of Vain, Danny Secretion & The Moans, The Setting Sons, 8 p.m.

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

In In a a band? band?

In a band?

harleywhiteJr. feat.aaron kinG

Promote your shows, new CD, etc.

Promote your shows, new CD, etc.

&foreVer GolDrush 9PM

Promote your shows, new CD, etc.

Pailer & fratis 5:30PM Benefit foralBieaware feat. neck Bone 4PM

25 SUn

26

Daniel castro 9PM

Blues JaM 4PM My own holiDay 8PM

Friday

$20 $20 $20

from his pocket from his pocket

from his pocket

torchclub.net 18

thursday

The Blue Lamp The Session w/ J-Point, Yun doe, Argolis Sounds, Cherry Red, Frank White, Tony Endz, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Anvil, Deadlands, Force Multiplied, Work Project, 7 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

Club Retro K Sera, From Indian Lakes,Wales, Brave Season, Love Is, Roses for Lions, 7 p.m.

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

Crocker Art Museum Playlist w/ Dean-O-Holics, 7 p.m.

District 30 Ken Loi, Ray Tian, DJ Ultraman, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose The Mike Justis Band, 8 p.m.

Harlow’s Sizzling Sirens Burlesque’s Good Clean Dirty Fun, 8 p.m.

Javalounge Gillian Underwood & the Lonesome Doves, The Allyson Seconds Band, Dino the Girl, 8 p.m.

Luigi’s Davis Musical Charis, Fierce Creatures, Tha Dirt Feelin, 7:30 p.m.

Marilyn’s Rock On Live Band Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown These Paper Satellites, Martin Purtill, Kyle Williams, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Bluegrass Acoustic Jam, 7:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Cliff Huey & 27 Outlaws, 10 p.m.

Press Club The Walking Dead, The Shell Corporation, A Single Second, 8:30 p.m.

Torch Club X Trio, 5 p.m.; True Mad North, 9 p.m.

2.17

24 theniBBlers 9PM SaT

2.16

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

$20 $20 $20

from his gf from his gf

$50 $50 $50

from his gf

$10+ $10+ $10+

$0 $0 $0

from mom

he spent his on weed

from mom

he spent his on weed

from mom

he spent his on weed

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

Ace of Spades Testament, Prong, White Minorities, Gary Busey Amber Alert, 7 p.m.

Artisan Building Dom Kennedy, Noah, Jurts, 7 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Hoods, Give Em Hell, Crusades, Plead The Fifth, Union Hearts, 8 p.m.

continued on page 20

>>

jonathan@submergemag.Com

ContaCt jonathan

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

916.441.3803 jonathan@submergemag.Com

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2 1 0 0 W a t t av e U n i t 1 9 0 • S a c r a m e n t o , c a 9 5 8 2 5 l o c a t e d i n t h e b a c k o f b u i l d i n g M o n - S a t 11 - 7 p M • S u n 1 2 - 5 p M 2633 telegraph ave, #109 | oaKlanD, ca 94612 (510) 832-5000 | Mon-Sat 10aM-5pM

No 6 MoNth BS • Good for 1 Year | Walk-iNS WelcoMe all daY everYdaY Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

19

The Boardwalk Uli Jon Roth (of Scorpions), Judhead, Bad Boy Eddy, Two Nooses, 7 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Chris 2Me, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Aeromyth (Aerosmith tribute), 9 p.m.

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

Fox & Goose Carly DuHain, Sean Kilcoyne, Sandra Dolores, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s Cash’d Out, 7 p.m.; Arden Park Roots, Conscious Souls, 10 p.m.

Jackson Rancheria Casino Blue Oyster Cult, 7 p.m.

Javalounge The Enlows, The Moans, The Four Eyes, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Boscoe’s Brood, Mikey Laplante, Keaton Nelson, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s The Athens, The Guvernment, 9:30 p.m.

Mix DJ Elliott Estes, 9 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Cardiac Drift, Accordion Babes, BrownChicken BrownCow String Band, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Mighty Regis, Kill Devil, Sans Sobriety, 9 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Scene, Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Caravanseri (Santana tribute), 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m.

Shine Nathan Dale, Justin Farren, ZuhG Acoustic, 8 p.m.

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

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Eric Owens (Bass-Baritone), Robert Spano (Piano), 8 p.m.

R U O Y AD E 3 R 0 8 E 3 1 H 4 4 ) 6 2.18 1 (9 m o c . g a m e g r e m b u s @ o f in Affordable.

Effective.

20

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Saturday Ace of Spades Kingdom Of Giants, The Will The Way, Look Alive, Lights Ahead Of Us, Tag! You’re Dead, Trial

By Fire, 6:30 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Stuck, Ill Root, Lite Brite, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Slaughterbox (CD Release), Bispora, Journal, Lycanthrope, Gary Busey Amber Alert, Life Uh’Duh Party, 7 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Adam Donald, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts Eric Bibb, 8 p.m.

Club Retro The Eclectic, Cardboard Cutout Persona, Stereo Ecstasy, 7 p.m.

Crest Theatre Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, 7:30 p.m.

District 30 Danny Mijangos, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Dead Horses, The Secret Lives of Squirrels, Island of Black & White, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Dean-O-Holics (Rat Pack Tribute), 7 p.m.; Musical Charis & ZuhG Tour Kick Off Show, 10 p.m.

Harah’s Lake Tahoe Kenny Loggins, 7:30 p.m.

Javalounge Simpl3jack, The Trees, Crow Canyon, 4 p.m.; Fools Rush, Strange Party, Dead Dads, 8 p.m.

Luigi’s Davis Wild Ones, Lost Lander, Billy Swann, 8:30 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Rocco, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s The Atomic Angels Present: A Spoonful of Sugar Benefit Show w/ The Secretions, City Of Vain, Dusty Graves (of Avenue Saints), Ethan Blankensop (of Self Proclaimed), 3 p.m.; Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, 9:30 p.m.

Mix DJ Mike Moss, 8:30 p.m.

MontBleu Resort Casino EOTO, Eliot Lipp, 10 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Picture Atlantic, Cold Eskimo, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Spirit of St. Louis, March into Paris, Red Velvet Kiss, 9 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center Survival Guide, Hudson Criminal, Double Block and Bleed, Seeker, 51-50, 7 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Aeromyth (Aerosmith tribute), 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m.

Temple Fine Coffee and Tea Umbrella Fitzgerald, 7:30 p.m.

Torch Club Johnny Guitar Knox, 5 p.m.; Karen Lovely, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Chucho Valdés and the AfroCuban Messengers, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Dive Bar Todd Morgan, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Fred Eaglesmith, 7 p.m.

Javalounge Instagon, Cat & Mouse Trio, Raw Data, 8 p.m.

Mix Gabe Xavier, Peeti V, 8:30 p.m.

MontBleu Resort Casino DJ Jayceeoh, 10 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Ran, Redemption, Mistah Vistah, 8:30 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge Asylum w/ Harisson Price Gotham Chorus, Rich Kaz, Bryan Hawk, 9 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center A Veil Apart, 6 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub President’s Day Blues Bash w/ Max Cabello, 3 p.m.

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

Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; Lonesome Locomotive, 8 p.m.

2.20 Monday

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

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

Luigi’s Fungarden Exquisite Corps, Ape Machine, PETS, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond w/ Gongfarmer, Emily Hay Trio, 7:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Jazz Session w/ the Joe Mazzaferro Quintet feat.

Darius Babazadeh, 8:30 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center The Crosswalk, Seven Year War, A Broken Opera, 6 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Work Your Soul w/ Caulfield, 9 p.m.

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

2.21 2.19 Tuesday

Sunday

Ace of Spades Mayday Parade, We The Kings, The Downtown Fiction, Anarbor, 6 p.m.

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

Ace of Spades Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Pacific Dub, Official Response, Element of Soul, Street Urchinz, 6 p.m.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The Boardwalk The Dangerous Summer, Weatherbox, Ten Second Epic, Streetlight Fire, Yours for a Night, 7 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

Mix Ryan Hernandez, 6:30 p.m.

Odd Fellows Hall Jolie Holland, Sea of Bees, 8 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, 8 p.m.

Sol Collective Youth DJ Class, 4 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

2.22 wednesday

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 w/ Jeff And Dawn, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s Emma Hill, Bob Woods, 9 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Secure Sounds, The Slow Burns, Cory Norris, 8:30 p.m.

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

Plea for Peace Center Just Like Vinyl, Hail the Sun, 6 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Bound, Darkline, Conflict Minerals, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Acoustic Open Mic, 5:30 p.m.; Keri Carr Band, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, 8 p.m.

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

University Union Redwood Room, CSUS Nooner w/ Autumn Sky, 12 p.m.

SubmergeMag.com

2.23 Thursday

The Blue Lamp Forrest Day, Zebulon, Waylonn, DJ Mike Colossal, 8 p.m.

The Boardwalk MSG (McAuley-Schenker Group), Spiritual Octane, Chain Control, 7 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

Club Retro Jordan Feliz, Casta Nova, 7 p.m.

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

District 30 Verdugo Brothers (Record Release), Diego Valle, Freddy Silva, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Be Brave Bold Robot, Johnny Unicorn, Autumn Electric, 8 p.m.

Golden Bear Black Out w/ DJ Dalibaba, DJ Mitch, the 40oz Thief, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s G-Love & Special Sauce, Scott H. Biram, 9 p.m.

Javalounge LP Sessions, Artemis Marion, The Hey Nows, 8 p.m.

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

Old Ironsides Cat Stevens Tribute Band, Marty Taters & Sal Valentino, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Amanda Gray, 10 p.m.

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

2.24 FRIDAY

Ace of Spades Jamie’s Elsewhere, The Paper Melody, Beta State, A Night In Hollywood, From Aurora, Speak No More, Taking Fox Hollow, 6:30 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Jenny Owen Youngs, Little Hurricane, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Calista Sky, The Sky Command, The Castless, Calling All Survivors, 6:30 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Tony Bataska, 8 p.m.

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

The Cave Grand Opening w/ Graham Vinson, Autumn Sky, The Hungry, EGG, plus comedy and art, 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts Dala, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose Whiskey & Stitches, Mike Blanchard & the Californios, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s Tainted Love, 9 p.m.

Javalounge Mr. Rogers, Jilt vs Jonah, Sicfus, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Davied Rosales, Souterrain, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Dennis Johnson & the Mississippi Ramblers, West of Next, 9:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Dana Gumbnier, Allen Maxwell/Eric Hansoi, James Williams, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Malcom Bliss, West Coast Villain, Midnight Burial, Love Is Over, 8 p.m.

On The Y Riot Radio, Preachers That Lie, Boar Hunter, Beerlords, 9 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center Skouts Honor, 7 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Love Fool, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m.

Shenanigans Acoustic Night w/ Adam Roth, Patrick Walsh, Chris Brown, Adam Page, Tim Thurman, Phil Brown, 7 p.m.

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

Townhouse Persephone’s Bees, Playboy School, 9 p.m.

2.25 Saturday

Ace of Spades The English Beat, 7 p.m.

The Blue Lamp In The Silence, Misamore, Electric Dude, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Bypassing Oblivion, BraudSide, From Cities to Salt, Descendant, Terra Ferno, Force of Habit, 7 p.m.

Bows and Arrows Appetite, AU, Gentleman Surfer, 8 p.m.

The Boxing Donkey Josh Thompson, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Peter Cetera, 8 p.m.

The Cave MJF and the Parkinsons, Di Bravura, Chaos Crisis, Fearection, 101, 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Show, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose KB & the Slingtones, Vintage Vandals, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Tainted Love, 9 p.m.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe G. Love & Special Sauce, 7 p.m.

Javalounge Blame the Bishop, Groovin High, 4 p.m.; Der Spazm, Tied to the Branches, Hawk Jones, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe David Houston & String Theory, Honyock, Jen Rogar, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s The Diva Kings, Dads LP’s, Shoot the Moon, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Mike Moss, 8:30 p.m.

MontBleu Resort Casino Iration, Trevor Hall & Thrive, 8 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown The Isaac Howl, AJ Johnson, Cover Girls, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Whoopi Quat, 9 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Homicide, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center Symbolik, 7 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub The Hits, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m.

Shine Parie Wood, Iris Shanks, Rebecca Sleeth, 8 p.m.

Torch Club Benefit for Albie Aware feat. Neck Bone, 4 p.m.; Daniel Castro, 9 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Overtone Quartet, 8 p.m.

2.26 Sunday

The Blue Lamp JFK, Symmetry, Kublakai, Max Bundles, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk BatChild, Madi & Cici, Piñata Puncher, Cassidy Payne, The Christopher Mushtree Band, Wasabi Bomb, 4 p.m.

Capitol Bowl Lava Pups, 2 p.m.

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

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Dive Bar Reggae from Jamaica, 9 p.m.

Javalounge Audio Waffle w/ Liver Cancer, Tamagawa, Bran, POS, Drone A Clochettes, Holy Filament, The Tulpa Effect, 12 p.m.; The Old Screen Door, Secure Sounds, 8 p.m.

Mix Gabe Xavier, 8:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Justin Farren, Mason Rex, Gordus, 8:30 p.m.

Plea for Peace Center Zephyr, 6 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Fire & Wheels, 3 p.m.

continued on page 22

>>

Sacramento’S original Pizza Since 1953... now continuing the tradition in midtown & daviS

1050 20th Street

213 e Street

midtown Sacramento

daviS

530-231-5177

916-447-1255

2/18

ape machine exquisite corps pets

2/19

simpl 3 jack

2/23

hail the sun the speed of sound in seawater just like vinyl

2/24

2/25

2/27

2/15

mad cow string band

2/16

fierce creatures

2/18

wild ones churches tba

bastards of young crusades setting sons build us airplanes brolly the whale those meddling kids tamagawa drone à clochettes ( france) tba

2/21

music trivia night

2/25

rock band university showcase

2/26

tamagawa drone à clochettes ( france)

2/28

music trivia night

2/29

appetite aan tba

doors open at 8 pm sunday - wednesday 8:30pm thursday - saturday all ages ... all the time

EVERYDAY SPECIALS! Sacramento’s Original Pizza Since 1953…

Now continuing the tradition in Midtown Sacramento!

LUNCH ~

11am - 3pm

ONE DOLLAR MONDAY $1-off all Slices & $1 fountain drink TWO DOLLAR TUESDAY $2 Cheese or Pepperoni Slice THREE DOLLAR WEDNESDAY $3 Any Slice FOUR DOLLAR THURSDAY $4 Pastrami or Meatball Sandwich FIVE DOLLAR FRIDAY $5-off all large pies

HAPPY HOUR ~

Mon-Fri

3pm - 6pm

$2 cheese or pepperoni slice $2 show beers

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

21

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

Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; My Own Holiday, 8 p.m.

2.27 Monday

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

Center for the Arts Ladysmith Black Mambazo, NU Chamber Choir, 7:30 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

Javalounge Kids With Gunz, Aaron Greenz, Michael LaPlante, 8 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays w/ Ross Hammond Quartet (CD Release), Josh Fernandez/Shawn Hale Duo, 7:30 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Jazz Session w/ the Joe Mazzaferro Quintet feat.

Reaganado, 8:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Support the Rabid, 101, Beside Myself, 8 p.m.

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

Comedy Cache Creek Casino Howie Mandel, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited The Sacramento Love Ball, Feb. 14, 7 p.m.

Sean Kent, Justin Worsham, Feb. 16 - 19, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Best of Open Mic Showcase, Feb. 21, 8 p.m.

Kirk McHenry, Aarona Browning, Feb. 23 - 25, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.

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

Naked Lounge Downtown Worlds Worst Doctors Comedy Improv, Feb. 23, 8:30 p.m.

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

Punchline Comedy Club Cupid’s Comedy Allstars, Feb. 14, 8 p.m.

Steve Byrne, Feb. 16 - 19, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Doug Stanhope, Feb. 23 - 25, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Chicano Comedy Allstars w/ Dustin Ybarra, Dillon Garcia, Feb. 26, 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. 15 & 22, Improv 1 Continuous, 7 p.m.; Harold Night, 9 p.m.

Feb. 16 & 23, Improv 1 Continuous, 7 p.m.; The Neighbor’s Kids, 9 p.m.

Feb. 17, World’s Worst Doctors Comedy Improv, 8 p.m.; Ngaio Bealum’s Birthday Comedy Show, 9 p.m.

Feb. 18, Lady Business, 8 p.m.; Anti Cooperation League, 8 p.m.

Feb. 19 & 26, Open Mic Scramble, 7 p.m.

Feb. 24, World’s Worst Doctors Comedy Improv, 8 p.m.; Johnny Taylor Presents Comedy Kill, 9 p.m.

Feb. 25, In Your Facebook, 8 p.m.; Anti Cooperation League, 9 p.m.; High vs Drunk Improv, 10 p.m.

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

Tommy T’s Open Mic Contest, Feb. 15 & 22, 7:30 p.m.

Randy Lubas, Feb. 16 - 19, Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 7 p.m.

Turned Up Tuesday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m.

Roger Rodd, Feb. 23 - 26, Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

University Union Ballroom, CSUS Ambassadors of Comedy w/ Jeff Hodge, Rene Garcia, Georgia Van Cuylenburg, Sardia Marley, Rosie Tran, hosted by Angel Diaz, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.

Misc.

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

Bows & Arrows Wine Tasting w/ Michelle Herbert, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.

Hooded Cape Fashion Show feat. 9 Local Designers, Feb. 17, 9 p.m.

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

Cal Expo 2012 Sacramento Autorama, Feb. 17 - 19 Sacramento Beer Week: Sacramento Brewers Showcase, Feb. 25, 12 p.m.; Capital Beerfest, Feb. 25, 3 p.m.

California Museum Riding Concrete: Skateboarding in California curated by Z-Boy Nathan Pratt, now through March, 2012

Dragatomi Book Signing w/ Skinner, Feb. 25, 1 p.m.

Elks Tower Ballroom Sacramento Fashion Week: Designer Showcase, Feb. 24 & 25, 8 p.m.

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

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

The Guild Theatre Movies on a Big Screen presents: Dreamwork China: The Workers of Foxconn, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m.; 2011-2012 Media That Matters Short Film Festival. Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.

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

Old Sacramento Bars Mardi Gras 2012: Live Music, Entertainment, Food & Drink Specials, Feb. 18, 5 p.m.

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

Sacramento Grand Ballroom Sacramento Beer Week: The Art of Beer, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.

Shine Poetry with Legs w/ Anne Menbroker, Kathy Keith, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.

Time Tested Books Sacramento Living Library w/ Beer Historian Ed Carroll, Feb. 19, 6 p.m.

University Union Ballroom, CSUS An Evening w/ Hypnotist Tom Deluca, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.

Sacramento Fashion Week: Fashion Forum, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.

Various Bars, Restaurants, Venues The Third Annual Sacramento Beer Week, Feb. 24 - Mar. 4

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22

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

on the road

Dogfood’s Trek Across the United States winter 2012 Cheyenne Saloon

Adam the bartender

Rachel the sister

Las Vegas Strip

(2) After Las Vegas we headed out to Tempe, Ariz., which we all fell in love with because of the beautiful weather and even more beautiful girls.

We got some beers at a Ruby Tuesdays and got invited to party and crash at the bartender’s house.

Brother and sister, Adam and Rachel, showed us a great time with lots of rum and card games, Arizona style. We played two shows in the area and had the pleasure of meeting up with our buddy band Burn Halo at 910 Live.

Las Vegas Strip

(1) For Dogfood’s 2012 tour the idea was to escape a rainy Sacramento winter and head to Florida for some sunshine.

We decided against the Southern California route and headed straight to Nevada for a show in Reno and three days of madness in Las Vegas. We booked two shows in Vegas, one at Cheyenne Saloon and the other at Bunkhouse, which comped us a hotel room. Those three days felt like a week because we were drunk by noon, passed out by 4, awake by 9 and stayed out until the sun came up to do it all over again. Needless to say, we partied like rock stars.

Wal-Mart sleeping

(3) When we couldn’t find amazing people like Adam and Rachel to crash with we would usually sleep in the van at a Wal-Mart parking lot. 24-hour bathrooms and all the drunken snack food you could ever want. Who needs hotels when you have a van? NOT US!

New Mexico

(4) We booked a show at one of the only venues in Albuquerque, N.M., Burt’s Tiki Lounge, which had a great built-in crowd and was (5) There was no way we were going to leave New Mexico without stopping in Roswell to one of our best shows of the tour. We did some sightseeing in our off time. This is us on top of a mountain overlooking the city. It was get in on some alien action. We tried everything we could to get abducted but no luck.

Instead we hit up all the tourist spots and took some adorable family photos.

J.T.s birthday, and we stayed with some of his relatives who made us lasagna and birthday cake! We ate our faces off like a couple of homeless boys.

Dogfood w/Bikini Bar girls

Bruce the begger

(7) When times got tough and the money was low, we had our dog Bruce beg for money on the side of the street. “Need money for DOGFOOD.” Eric working the merch table (6) The next stop was Austin, Texas, which has a ridiculous amount of live music and a huge college population. We landed a gig at Darwin’s Pub on 6th Street, which is like a block party every night of the week. Our manager Eric James Hill stayed busy collecting money from bookers and running the merch table. We made friends with the beautiful girls at Bikini Bar, and they all came to the show! It was an awesome night.

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Roswell, N.M.

Skyler's passed out (8) Some friends let us crash at their house in Austin, and I passed out first as usual. All I can say is JÄGER BOMBS!!!

Ft. Walton Beach

(9) After two shows in Houston, Texas, and two shows in Pascagoula, Miss., we had the chance to relax at Ft. Walton Beach outside of Pensacola, Fla. A storm came in the next day so we headed off to Savannah, Ga., for another gig.

Dogfood is Matthew Harris, bass/vocals; Skyler Michael, guitar/vocals; and J.T. Reed, drums. Learn more about them at Facebook.com/ dogfoodmusic. Don't miss their homecoming show at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom on March 21.

Sarasota, Fla.

(10) We picked up a last minute gig in St. Augustine and then played another in Tampa before a SOLD OUT show at the Blue Owl in Skyler and Matt’s hometown of Sarasota, Fla. We had our high school friend’s band Dylan Jon Wade Cox start off the show with some folk ‘n’ roll. It was by far the best show of the tour. We are now making our way back to Sacramento for a homecoming show at Powerhouse Pub scheduled March 21. We would like to thank all of our friends and fans for making this possible. You have given us the confidence to take our music on the road and a great place to come back to for amazing shows. We are having the time of our lives and are blessed to be able to share it with all of you. See you in Sacramento March 21!!! Love, DOGFOOD BOYS.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

23

Father Knows Best

Ross Hammond discusses his new album with The Ross Hammond Quartet and His New Muse Words Blake Gillespie • Photo Louise Mitchell

I

nterviewing Ross Hammond on a Friday afternoon while his wife was out of town meant a secondary task of taking his 18-month old daughter, Lola, for a stroll around the 17 th and L block of Midtown.

Lola led the way, while Hammond and I discussed his upcoming Ross Hammond Quartet record due this month. As we strolled and pointed out flowers, dogs and trucks (Lola loves trucks and busses), it became apparent the little blondie was responsible for changes and inspiration in her father she’ll not understand for years. The record, Adored, and Hammond’s artistic growth displayed on the album would not be possible without her.

Our walk began in the alley outside Old Soul Coffee. We did roughly three laps of the block and if we stopped the question was posed, “Lola walk?” In answering, Lola formed her first contribution to the interview tape “Lola walk.” Many of Hammond's responses were fractured with quick “stay close” requests, but we eventually got down to brass tacks. The immediate information to hash out: Who are the players in the Ross Hammond Quartet?

The ensemble came together mostly through the intricate

24

web of the jazz scene involving booking, travel and of course, collaboration, although Hammond first came to know each member from owning their albums. Whether on stage or in the studio, he said he had several surreal moments that left him pondering, “How did I get here?” The Quartet comprises Hammond on guitar, Vinny Golia on saxophone, Steuart Liebig on contrabass guitar and Alex Cline on percussion. Hammond said he’d known Golia from booking him a gig at the Cool Cat Gallery on 24th —back when it existed—and Cline in a similar fashion. Cline is the twin brother of legendary guitarist Nels Cline, who’s currently playing lead guitar in Wilco.

“It’s freaky, dude,” Hammond said regarding the Cline brothers.

“They’re identical and both really tall.”

As for Liebig, “I don’t know how I met, Steuart… I guess through the scene.”

He played three to four gigs, including the In the Flow Festival in Sacramento last year, with the members, planting the seed for the quartet. After he’d enlisted the three musicians for a studio session in Los Angeles, the makings of an official ensemble came to fruition.

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

When it came time to name the project, Hammond was surprised by the other members’ suggestion of naming the quartet after him. At 34, Hammond is the youngest member of the group while the rest were born as far back as the ‘40s. It is a humble and impressive gesture coming from three renowned L.A. jazz musicians who have each had ensembles bearing their namesakes.

“For lack of anything better that’s what it is,” Hammond said.

“I’ve never had a quartet before. I also feel like I couldn’t replace any of those guys and still call it the same thing.”

Recorded at Newzone Studio and engineered by Wayne Peet, the album was tracked in six hours with only a few songs needing alternate takes. It’s a feat that speaks to the veteran musicianship of Hammond’s quartet. Hammond would play the riff he had in mind for a song and the ensemble would offer a nod or “OK”—no further tutelage required. He said after each track, it was understood that it felt good and they would move on to the next song.

“Playing with these guys it’s just about staying on the wave,” he said. “You don’t have to give them much instruction at all. I think one of the instructions I gave Vinny was, ‘OK, as soon as this song starts you have to come in like an elephant,’ and that’s what he did.”

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

“Alex [Cline] told me he doesn’t think you mature as a musician until after you’ve been a dad. The gist of it was you stop trying to impress people and focus on filtering this feeling you have and this beautiful thing and turn it into a song. Your muse is different. The goofy songs aren’t there anymore. Having a kid forces you to grow up and you grow up in everything. If anything it’s more purposeful now.”

– Ross Hammond

SPECIAL EVENT

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FREE: Funky jazz / reggae concert

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THUR • MAR 1 • 7P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOMROOM

WED • MAR 7 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

FREE: Salsa dance lessons, live concert performance by Grupo Bakkan, & dance performances by local dance studios.

FREE: Traditional Japanese drumming in honor of International Women’s Day.

CONCERT

BREATHE CAROLINA Adored is carved from a foundation of folk songs with the title track being a lullaby Hammond sings to Lola at bedtime. Hammond said three of the songs are lullabies he sings. After she’d go to sleep he would figure out the notes and write out the lullaby. The writing is at its most encrypted on “Maribel’s Code,” in which the melody is an intervocalic code built from Lola’s initials: LMH. “Most of the stuff I write has either a dedication or an idea, be it political or romantic,” Hammond said. “I’m never just like, “oh this is a cool riff, I’ll call it…’”

Three years ago when I first interviewed Hammond, he shared a similar sentiment. The inspiration behind the album title An Effective Use of Space came from a saying his wife frequently used.

He said it’s one she still uses to this day. Hammond listed his wife as still his deepest muse, but the birth of his daughter is the primary source of inspiration behind Adored.

The immediacy of the recording is palpable, but it’s done in maturity. Hammond said the difficult task in preparing the music was giving the songs a collected feel, but without being united to the point of bleeding the songs together. Adored roars in, spastic and angry, with “Adored” but as “Sesquipedalian” mellows out it introduces the soft lullaby of “She’s My Little Girl.” Consider the album to be much like Hammond’s day-to-day with Lola; awake at

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6 a.m. and full of energy, a settling in period, a mid-day walk with small fits of exuberance and crankiness, a lullaby for a nap or the night’s tuck-in. It is all lovingly expressed in the sea changes of Adored.

“Alex [Cline] told me he doesn’t think you mature as a musician until after you’ve been a dad,” Hammond said. “The gist of it was you stop trying to impress people and focus on filtering this feeling you have and this beautiful thing and turn it into a song. Your muse is different. The goofy songs aren’t there anymore. Having a kid forces you to grow up and you grow up in everything. If anything it’s more purposeful now.”

With the particulars of the album discussed and rocks and leaves in our pockets courtesy of the tyke, Hammond asked Lola, “Wanna go swing? Lola swing?” She offered her second sentence of the afternoon; a sharp “Lola swing.”

With that, they strapped into a Adored by The Ross Hammond bicycle and road off to the park.

Quartet will be available Feb. 27. You can preorder it now at Rosshammond.bandcamp.com/ album/adored and also listen to the title track. Hammond and co. will throw a CD release party on the very day of its release at Luna’s Café in Sacramento.

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

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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 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 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

25

All for One Desario employs a

collective mentality in writing its latest album, Mixer

Words James Barone • PHOTO Beth Baugher

E

ndings, as the saying goes, often lead to new beginnings.

When Sacramento indie rock band Holiday Flyer called it quits in 2002 after almost 10 years as a group and four full-length albums, its members found new avenues to express themselves musically. Three-fifths of Holiday Flyer—which began as the brother/ sister duo of John and Katie Conley, but grew into a five-piece band by its final album, 2001’s I Hope—went on to form Desario just two years later. Frontman John Conley, bassist Michael Yoas (making the jump from bass back to his first instrument guitar in Desario) and drummer Jim Rivas were joined by bass player Mike Carr. Desario released its first album, Zero Point Zero, in 2009. On February 28, the band will put forth its sophomore effort, Mixer, which shows that even after many years as vital parts of the Sacramento scene, the guys of Desario are still looking for new ways to expand their craft.

Yoas produced and engineered the entirety of Mixer, which was mixed by Larry Crane (who has worked with Elliott Smith, among others). Last time around, on Zero Point Zero, Yoas recorded everything except the drums. He says he and Conley had been playing music together as far back as the ‘80s. “We started in punk bands together in high school. We wrote together back then, and then I didn’t play music for quite a while.”

It was eight to 10 years by Yoas’ estimation that he hadn’t played music until his old friend lured him back into the studio. Yoas laid down bass for a few tracks on Holiday Flyer’s third album You Make Us Go and enjoyed an expanded role as a fixture on I Hope.

“Jim [Rivas] and I joined and put our stamp on it with bass lines and drums and percussion and added some arrangements,” Yoas says. “But for the most part, Holiday Flyer was John’s vision.”

Desario is an entirely different animal. Instead of leaning on one songwriter, the band takes a four-heads-are-better-than-one approach. In fact, the title of the album refers to the fact that the songs on Mixer were a group effort.

“It really is a band effort,” Yoas explains. “Other than the lyrics— John writes all the lyrics—it really can start with any one of us.”

This time around, the songs came together in Desario’s practice space, evolving from jams to the fully realized recordings found on Mixer. The album has a layered, sometimes spacey sound that’s imbued with underlying warmth. Songs such as “Victoria Island,” which begins with a sort of watery synth burble, stretches out into a well-paced five-and-a-half minutes of absorbing rock, layered with shimmering, distorted guitars. It’s indicative of what you’ll find on Mixer—songs that are a bit challenging, yet easy to get lost in.

On an early Saturday morning, Yoas took the time to answer some of our questions about how the album came together, and revealed how Desario thrives by keeping their songwriting process fluid.

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26

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Yeah.

Oh no. I’m not tactful at all [laughs]. As far as the guys in my band, I think at times I might have been kind of hard and had a vision and did everything I could to get out of them what I was hearing, knowing that we could all go back in the end as a group and sort things out and edit things. I definitely wanted to try to get a lot of different takes of everything just to have options.

How was the process of producing Mixer as opposed to Zero Point Zero?

Kind of arduous at times. When it’s your own music, you’re never quite sure if you’re going in the right direction or not. You’re constantly second guessing yourself. But in the end, we’re really happy with it.

Are you at all interested in producing other people’s work, or have you produced other people’s work?

Yeah I am. I’ve recorded some demos for a couple of bands. I haven’t finished them through yet, but I’m definitely interested in recording some other bands in town and getting more into that.

How is it working on someone else’s stuff as opposed to working on your own?

Honestly, it’s a lot easier for me. I have no problem giving my opinion on something, or if I’m hearing something to add or take away, it’s pretty easy giving my opinion and feel good about it. I am an avid music fan as well. When you hear something, just throw it out there.

When you’re giving feedback when you were working on Mixer, did you find that you had to be more tactful in giving your opinion since you’re a member of the band?

Absolutely…

Do you find yourself holding back sometimes? You’ve known the guys for a while. It must be an interesting dynamic in the studio.

Oh, you mean giving Desario advice?

As far as your vision for this record, is that something that came through in the writing of it or afterward when you started recording?

Definitely in the writing. We were going through a phase with this batch of songs.

This batch of songs probably came together over the course of three years or so. We were trying to do things—for lack of a better term—more intricate and more elaborate, I guess, and not by choice, but for whatever reason it’s the place we were in for a couple of years.

Just looking to make it as interesting with synthesizer and other elements we didn’t use at all on the first record.

You mentioned that the songs came together from jamming as a band. How did you like working that way?

It’s funny, all of us in the beginning were like, “It’s tough for us to jam. It’s hard to come in without any starting point and create music.” As we evolved as a band, we found that we all played so well together, it was really easy to jam— starting with one of Jim’s drumbeats or Mike’s bass lines. It could be anything that would make someone say, “Hey, keep doing that,” and that’s how most of the songs on Mixer started…

There has been many practices where we don’t have any shows to practice for, or we’re not recording anything. We’re very diligent. We have a scheduled practice night every week, and regardless of what’s going on, we make it a point to go in that night and practice, even though we have no reason to be there, just to see what might come out of it.

“This batch of songs probably came together over the course of three years or so. We were trying to do things—for lack of a better term—more intricate and more elaborate, I guess, and not by choice, but for whatever reason it’s the place we were in for a couple of years.”

– Michael Yoas, Desario In that regard, are you guys writing all the time now? Has that process opened you up to be more prolific songwriters?

I think so. We’re constantly writing. With the stuff that we’re writing after Mixer, we’re taking a slightly different approach.

John and I are trying to noodle with some ideas together and bringing them to the band to see if they think it’s worth moving forward with those ideas at this point. We’re constantly trying to change how we song-write, just to keep it interesting and so we’re writing different kinds of songs all the time.

No rest for the weary, then.

Exactly. Yes, we’re always writing, but we definitely go into practice now with an idea of what we want to do instead of going in without any purpose.

You guys have a listening party coming up for Mixer before playing the CD release show on March 3. What do you have planned for the listening party?

We’ve got two hours at Phono Select.

We’re going to let the CD play a couple of times in the store. It’s going to be available for sale. We’re going to put out some beverages and snacks. We’re just going to make it a real casual thing— come in, check out the record and enjoy a beer or a glass of wine and just have a good time.

Is it more nerve-wracking to play the new songs live or watching people listen to the CD at the listening party?

That’s a good question. I’m a little more anxious about watching people listen to the record than playing live. Playing live, obviously, I’m more focused on what I’m doing than watching the reaction of people listening to it.

So you’re working on stuff with John for a next record?

As a band we’ve already got six songs written. We basically have all the ideas for another album’s worth of material that we just need to hash out as a band and get arranged and just get it completed.

Desario will host a listening party for Mixer at Phono Select.

The event is free and will take place on Feb. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Phono Select is located at 2312 K Street, Sacramento. Mixer’s CD release show will take place at Beatnik Studios on March 3.

Joining Desario as performers will be Tremor Low from Oakland and Hearts + Horses.

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Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

27

The grindhouse

In Too Deep Safe House Universal

Words James Barone Being a hero is all well and good, but what exactly does that entail? Altruism will only get you so far in a world where things are rarely black and white.

Safe House isn’t as deep as all that. It’s an action movie. But it does touch on some of the shadier aspects of life in a post-Cold War/Global War on Terror world. And there are explosions.

Lots of them.

The film opens in Capetown, South Africa, where we find fledgling CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) charged with guarding a safe house. He’s young, idealistic and ambitious.

He wants to play a bigger role with the agency, presumably to keep his country safe. He yearns for a day when he can leave his cushy detail behind and really get out into the field, doing serious work.

He gets what he wishes for when he crosses paths with Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a legendary but disgraced CIA operative. Frost, a rogue agent accused of treason, inexplicably turns himself in to a U.S. consulate in South Africa after gaining some coveted intel from a British MI6 officer and narrowly escaping a pack of faceless, bloodthirsty heels out for his head. Frost is brought to Weston’s safe house to undergo questionable interrogation practices to find out just why he brought himself to Capetown in the first place. That’s when the shit hits the fan.

Weston’s safe house has been compromised.

The same men after Frost in the beginning of the film have stormed the supposedly secure location, and Frost and Weston sneak out by the skins of their teeth. The latter then does his best to bring the rogue agent to justice and get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his surrender, and what follows is a proverbial journey into the heart of darkness.

Safe House is stingy in divulging the details of exactly what’s going on. The film moves

28

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

from one elaborate action-filled set piece to the next with nary a moment for the audience to catch its breath. Swedish-born director Daniel Espinosa, making his Hollywood debut, certainly makes an impression. Safe House has a very distinct look. The colors are saturated, the film looks grainy and the rapid pace of the shaky camera work is extremely disorienting.

One close-quarter fight in a tenement between Frost and Weston and two armed pursuers may very well induce seizures. At points, it feels like style over substance. The technique is so flashy that it overshadows the action itself. However, with all the extreme close-ups and first-person feel of the camera work, there’s an intimacy to the violence, of which there’s plenty. Even the deaths of nameless henchmen feel personal.

Even at its most nauseating, Safe House’s action is extremely vivid. Unfortunately its plot isn’t so forthcoming. Playing the intricate details of the story so close to the vest, it’s a good two-thirds into the film before we’re even given a hint of why all these people want Frost dead—and it’s a vague hint at that. There’s a file, sure, and it points to some very powerful people. That much was apparent from all the hullabaloo surrounding the events of the film, but it never feels specific enough.

Luckily, Safe House has a good enough cast to keep things interesting, even through its most head-scratching moments. Vera Farmiga, usually solid, exudes confidence as the only notable female presence in the film. Most of Safe House rides on the shoulders of Washington and Reynolds, who have little problem carrying its weight. Washington may be showing his age, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with in a role that demands such physicality, and Reynolds doesn’t wilt in the shadow of such an accomplished co-star. There’s not even an inkling of the wisecracking caricature Reynolds is known for. Instead, we see a more or less honest portrayal of a good man pushed to the edge.

Sarcasm has no place in Espinosa’s Safe House. This is an entirely humorless film, but it’s not a tedious one. It’s more sweet than savory, but if you want to experience two hours of chaos from the safety of a cinema, you could certainly do worse.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

live<< rewind

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

m

Mutemath

.co g a m ge

Audience Appreciation

(9f1o@submer in

Mutemath, Canon Blue

Ace of Spades, Sacramento • Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 Words Ashley Hassinger • Photos mike ibe Mutemath returned to Sacramento for a stunning performance with musical guest Canon Blue.

With distinctive musical styles, these two bands complemented each other flawlessly. A strong emphasis on an array of instruments and powerful lead vocals illustrated genuine musicianship.

Canon Blue, solo project of Daniel James, opened up the night, playing as a trio on this occasion. With the recent release of Canon Blue’s sophomore album Rumspringa, James spoke to the audience about Amish culture being a heavy influence on the album.

His six-song set lasted 30 minutes. James's set list was a mixture of old and new tracks, allowing the audience to get a full taste of the rich and funky Canon Blue.

An essential feature you can hear with Canon Blue’s recent music is a string quartet.

This element gives Canon Blue a unique quality and James is able to recreate this sound with samplers during his live show. Layering a combination of string instruments and James’ vocals generates a refreshed sound. Canon Blue gives listener’s unpredictable sounds and lyrics and has a euphonic substance.

In addition to the layering, the tracks have a variety of tones varying from light and jazz style to an alternative and fast tempo. Canon Blue’s unorthodox sound is what draws in new listeners.

Canon Blue wrapped up their set with a funky and upbeat jam titled “Chicago.” This track is a perfect example of the sound you’ll hear on Rumspringa: a string quartet introduction ultimately bringing in James’ voice.

Standing in the crowd, I overheard a few audience members mumbling, “Who is this band?” Canon Blue made a substantial impression on both fans and new listeners.

Their opening made a great introduction to the headlining Mutemath that was to follow.

Writing and performing for almost a decade, Mutemath have polished and perfected their art of music. With three full-length studio albums including their most recent release in October, Odd Soul, Mutemath had a great deal of material to work with for the show.

For those unfamiliar with the sound of Mutemath, imagine a fusion of funk, jazz and rock. Lead vocalist Paul Meany adds an undertone of soul to complete their colorful and distinguished sound.

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Known for their exceptional live performances, Mutemath didn’t delay to impress the crowd with a non-traditional entrance.

Drummer Darren King led the band in a drumline formation from the audience onto the stage, with a string of lights hanging above them.

As they took to the stage, there was no hesitation in energy and excitement from the band members as the first song “Odd Soul,” off their third studio album, started up. Bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and newest member Todd Gummerman on the guitar joined in with King and Meany with an immense amount of liveliness on the stage.

The excitement wasn’t limited to one area with Meany interacting with the crowd, and singing in the middle of the audience for the performance of “Equals.”

A favorable characteristic of Mutemath’s performances is their ability to have quick transitions. There is little downtime between songs, allowing for the audience to get the most out of the show.

Along with their swift changeovers, there was a great light show throughout the performance, which took the concert to the next level.

With high energy and dedication, Mutemath gave an exceptional arrangement of their songs over the years, and their animation was contagious to the crowd. Mutemath is one of the few bands left that performs solely for the joy of their audience.

The songs they performed included “Blood Pressure,” “Spotlight” and “Walking Paranoia,” to name a few. The band played a total of 26 songs, giving the audience a passion-filled show.

Canon Blue

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

29

the shallow end fall from grace James Barone jb@submergemag.com

sAve $$$

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As seen on

1115 21 st Street • Sac (next to lucky cafe)

smokeem.net

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Mon-Sat 11aM-7pM • Sun 12-6pM

30

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

I remember going into a mom and pop electronics store (those used to exist) with my parents. I must have been in the fifth grade.

There was a room full of giant televisions with state of the art audio and visual equipment.

This was the ‘80s, mind you, so the shit was huge. Big screen televisions were like monoliths of glass and plastic. Surround sound wasn’t ubiquitous—maybe it wasn’t even really invented yet—but the stereo systems were equal in size, boasting racks upon racks of cassette decks, graphic equalizers and turntables. Speakers encased in cabinets stood large, loud but stoic.

The store had cable, though, which was something I’d never seen before. One of the televisions was playing MTV, and back then the M actually stood for music. As fate would have it I was not only watching my first music video, but also experiencing my first crush.

The video for Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” was playing on the tube, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it as my parents were off in the corner of the cluttered shop, being courted by a salesman. In the video, Whitney had a big voice, titanic hair and a variety of brightly colored outfits. In that respect, she was like one of the Muppets, who I also loved, but this felt totally different. I figured that Whitney and I would meet one day, and we would be married, because that was the extent of my knowledge of male-female romantic relationships up until that point.

Sadly, all these years later, my knowledge of such things is only slightly more extensive.

We left the store without buying anything.

My parents used to love to go shopping, but buying things was another matter entirely. It didn’t matter, though, because I had clearly undergone a transformative experience. We continued on our way to an aunt and uncle’s house, who also had cable, and as luck would have it, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” came on during our stay. Someone commented that they liked the song, but I kept quiet. Our love was a secret until, well, right now actually.

Whitney moved on, clearly, and so did I. Around the same time, I met Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth and forgot all about the pop star.

I’m sorry. Love’s a fickle thing sometimes.

Houston, of course, married Bobby Brown,

which turned out to be a tumultuous affair. I never hooked up with Jennifer, but you know, there’s still time. I figure it’s probably because she hasn’t met me yet. (Call me.)

My window with Whitney has closed, however. As you most likely know, the 48-yearold mega pop star was found dead in her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012. Cause of death wasn’t known as of this writing, but I’m sure until the toxicology reports are made public, people will speculate that drugs were somehow involved. People are right to, I guess. Given her history and battle with addiction, drugs most likely played some role, even if indirectly.

It’s a sad story, like most every death is.

Houston's story is as clichéd a fall from grace tale as any celebrity cautionary tale. What’s worst with Houston, though, is that before her struggles with drugs came to light, she seemed so poised. She wasn’t a Charlie Sheen figure using her shadowy life off stage to sell records.

She’s the one who nailed the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl—the year my New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills in a thrilling game as the United States was engaged at war with Iraq (the first time around).

I found out over Facebook, which is the only way anyone ever hears about who’s dead, who’s in jail and who’s getting married anymore. Within minutes, my feed exploded with snarky remarks, heartfelt memorials and simple surprise. Oddly enough, the news brought me back to that day in the electronics store—something I hadn’t thought about probably since the day it happened. I’m sad for her daughter and for her fans, but personally I felt a shudder of mortality. It wasn’t at all pleasant.

The night of her death I found myself at a bar, and the DJ played “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” A gaggle of drunk young women, who may or may not have been born when the song was first released, howled and raised their Styrofoam cups. They began to dance, huddled in a circle, hugging intermittently. At another table, someone stood on her chair and raised a lighter. “Put ‘em up for Whitney Houston,” the DJ enthused. I couldn’t tell if he was being ironic or not, but I put up my glass all the same.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

saturDay

FEB 18

G.Love & speciaL sauce

thursDay

scott h. biram

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

Jenny owen younGs

FrIDay

LittLe hurricane

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

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 wEDnEsDay

sacramento beer week event (ipa niGht, speciaLs on aLL ipa’s on tap)

FEB 24 tuEsDay

the GrowLers

FEB 28

aLLah-Las

FEB 29

FEB 23

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

bLitzen trapper

MonDay

the parson red heads

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

harloW’S • 2708 J ST. • SacTo • all ageS • 6:30pm sunDay

Mar 18

Mar 5

tuEsDay Gappy ranks Mar 6 Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm ivan neviLLe’s thursDay dumpstaphunk Mar 8 (from new orLeans)

monophonics

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

howLin rain

FrIDay

The SofT WhiTe SixTieS • The Shrine

harloW’S • 2708 J ST. • SacTo • 21 & over • 8:30pm saturDay

apr 7

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

Mar 9

robert schwartzman (of rooney)

FrIDay

the reLationship

Mar 16

feat. brian beLL (of weezer) Jamestown revivaL

Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 18 & over • 6:30pm

the nibbLers

harloW’S • 2708 J ST. • SacTo • 21 & over • 7:30pm saturDay

apr 14

FrIDay

skerik’s bandaLabra

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

Mar 23

pLayinG Live for the first time since 1994

firehose

feat. mike watt, george hurley, ed crawford

vicTimS family • Tera meloS

thursDay

apr 5

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

harloW’S • 2708 J ST. • SacTo • 18 & over • 7:00pm tuEsDay

apr 17

harloW’S • 2708 J ST. • SacTo • 21 & over • 8:00pm

SubmergeMag.com

tim bLuhm (of the mother hips) and members of a.L.o.

on fridsaale feb y, @ 17 noon

thursDay

apr 12

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

speciaL show in fresno

FrIDay firehose apr 13 Fulton 55 • 875 divisadero st. • Fresno • 21 & over • 9:30pm

tiCkets at tiCketFly.Com

pLus

abstract entertainment

brokedown in bakersfieLd feat. nicki bLuhm &

le on sdaay, fri b 17 fe@noon Harlow’s • 2708 J st. • saCto • 18 & over • 7:00pm

Givers

www.abstractsacramento.com

MonDay

apr 16

tickets avaiLabLe at: the beat (17th & J st.) online aT: evenTbriTe.com • tickets for harLow’s shows aLso avaiLabLe at harLows.com

Issue 104 • February 13 – February 27, 2012

31

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas

february 13 – 27, 2012

#104 Doug Stanhope Flirting with Normality

Ross Hammond

Riffing with a Purpose

Dogfood’s Tour Diary 2012 Bikinis, Booze & Brotherhood mean doe green hungry as ever Desario Mixing It Up

+Ace of Spades Happy Birthday

Mardi Gras

comes to Old Sacramento Denzel Washington & Ryan Reynolds Clash in

Safe House

free

Track 7 & Ruhstaller Breweries Gear Up for Sacramento Beer Week