Submerge Magazine: Issue 71 (October 25-November 8)

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas

october 25 – November 8, 2010

#71

ten after two

free

Raging in Roseville

Mister

Metaphor One Night Only

John Appetite Order Up!

Ross Shock, Suspense, Comedy

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

contents

14

11

18

71 2010

oct. 25 – Nov. 8

03 Dive in 04 The Stream Optimistic Pessimist 05 The your senses 06 Submerge 11 Appetite 12 Ten After Two 14 John Ross 18 JEFF FELKER 20 Mister Metaphor 23 refined tastes 24 Calendar grindhouse 29 The shallow end 30 the Flaming Grill Café

12 cofounder/ Editor in Chief/Art Director

Melissa Welliver melissa@submergemag.com cofounder/ Advertising Director

Jonathan Carabba jonathan@submergemag.com Advertising sales

Josselin Basaldu josselin@submergemag.com senior editor

James Barone Contributing editor

Mandy Johnston

Why Lie? I Need a Drink

Contributing Writers

Joseph Atkins, Robin Bacior, Josselin Basaldu, Corey Bloom, Bocephus Chigger, Liz Franco, Brad Fuhrman, Anthony Giannotti, Blake Gillespie, Vince Girimonte, Bobby S. Gulshan, Ryan L. Prado, Adam Saake

Submerge Magazine

2308 J Street, Suite F Sacramento, Calif. 95816

916.441.3803 info@submergemag.com

distribution

Blake Gillespie, Monica McStotts

printed on recycled paper

www.submergemag.com

All content is property of Submerge and may not be reproduced without permission.

Visit www.submergemag.com to view more material you can’t have. Submerge is both owned and published by Submerge Network. 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. Your opinion matters to us, believe it or not, so please feel free to speak your mind and we just might listen. Thanks for reading Submerge!

dive in

- /+

I’d like to dedicate this issue to the people who have turned to focusing their negative energy into something positive.

Melissa welliver melissa@submergemag.com I will admit, at first I snickered at Facebook comments poking fun at the Westfield Galleria situation in Roseville this past Thursday: “He was pissed that GameStop is selling 5-year-old used games for $55” or, “They obviously ran out of Call of Duty 4.” Then I saw the images of the smoke coming out of the mall and the helicopter views. It really hit me how serious the troubled 23-year-old Alexander Piggee’s actions really were.

It really saddens me that people snap and feel they need to be destructive when the going gets tough.

I don’t mean to downplay Piggee’s particular situation at all.

But to make it relatable, everyone has hard times and low points in their lives. How we deal with them is an individual choice. I can’t help but think how many times having a hobby has helped someone get through difficult times. Whatever it is, turning to music, sports, etc., it can be a great release and can be extremely helpful when trying to overcome grim times.

For John Ross, the subject of our back cover feature, comedy was something he was able to turn to. Ross overcame some of the most difficult situations, everything from junkie parents to molestation, yet he was able to grow from them and even find humor through them. Please learn more about this amazing local comedian on page 14. He also happens to be releasing a DVD of his comedy this November.

Turning teen angst into something worthwhile is Roseville band Ten After Two. After recently signing with Rise Records and Artery Foundation Management, the only mall-related activity in its future is Hot Topic sales of the band’s new EP. Hard to say, but this band might be one of the youngest we’ve ever featured, which after listening to their tracks is pretty hard to believe. The quality of their musicianship is pretty damn solid! Read what Vincent Adorno and Sean Wall of Ten After Two have to say about their music and their future starting on page 12.

Unsigned, but another solid local musician nonetheless, Teddy Briggs, aka Appetite, is releasing his second full-length album, Scattered. Smothered. Covered., this November. Please read our interview on page 11 with Briggs as he lets us know that, label or not, he’s releasing his album. Be sure to go to his release show to get a copy or download it from Bandcamp.com if you just can’t wait.

Add this to the list of things you’re lucky you don’t have to wait for any longer: a reunion show with local band Mister Metaphor. Maybe you were able to see them during their threeyear stint in the early to mid-‘00s or maybe you’re like me and only discovered their great sound after they broke up. Whatever the case may be, we’re all fortunate enough that their dear friend Francis Eastman (whose band Echo Location is also on the reunion show bill) was able to coax them into playing for his 30th birthday at the Townhouse Lounge on Nov. 6. Be sure to read our feature on Mister Metaphor and what it means for everyone to play together again on page 20.

Lastly, The Poetics of Music at Sea is a series of paintings and drawings by local artist Jeffery Felker currently being displayed at the Union Gallery on Sacramento State’s campus. The literaturemajor-and-teacher-turned-artist tells Submerge on page 18 about his current pieces as well as his inspiration and appreciation for American poet Walter Whitman.

When it comes to local talent, we always try to highlight the best of the best. This issue is 100 percent locally focused. In times like these, when we are constantly hearing news focusing on negative things like the recent Second Saturday shooting, the mall burning down, etc., we’d like to remind you that there are always plenty of positive things happening in our area as well.

Enjoy issue #71, Melissa-Dubs

Follow us on Twitter! @SubmergeMag

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

3

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Hip hop concert plus special reggae / hip hop performance by The Hold Up and Random Abiladeze (with ZuhG). Tickets are $5 for Sac State students / $10 for general, available through Tickets.com

U2, now 23 years removed from the epic Joshua Tree, released details this week regarding three upcoming albums. Danger Mouse will produce the band’s next album, which is due out next year. According to Bono, U2 has completed 12 songs with the Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells member. The tracks will appear on U2’s new record, currently titled Songs of Ascent.

But U2 evidently has two other albums in the works.

One will be a compilation of “club” songs and will feature appearances by David Guetta and Will.i.am.

The third album, which isn’t set in stone, will be based on the band’s Broadway musical about Spider-Man, which is set to open in November.

Red Hot Chili Peppers are halfway thru completing its follow-up to 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. Drummer Chad Smith announced the news, adding that the group hopes to release the project by spring 2011.

Super-producer Rick Rubin is working on the album, which will feature the band’s new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer. Fingers crossed this album doesn’t turn into the 120-minute, double-disc behemoth that the last one did.

Opening April 2011, Seattle will be home to a special Nirvana gallery. The Experience Music Project will be displaying Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses, a collection of memorabilia related to the Kurt Cobainled band. Items on display will include pieces of Cobain’s first destroyed guitar, paintings from the frontman, as well as Cobain’s signature cardigan sweater. The display will also touch on other similar bands of the era. “The show is a celebration of Northwest music,” Krist Novoselic, the band’s bassist, told NME. Daft Punk joined Phoenix on stage in New York this week. The two groups have ties that date back to 1992. Guitarist Laurent Brancowitz joined Phoenix after leaving the group Darlin’, which included himself and Daft Punk duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Daft Punk joined Phoenix on stage and played their own “Harder Better Faster Stronger” as well as Phoenix’s “1901.”

Daft Punk is set to release its soundtrack for the film TRON: Legacy in November. No word if Kanye plans to sample it for his next monster single.

Game 3 of the National League Championship Series saw the San Francisco Giants drop the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0, in front of 43,320 raucous spectators. Perhaps more importantly, the indie darlings Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and his wife, actress and singer, Zooey Deschanel, were in attendance. Gibbard kicked off the game with his rendition of the National Anthem. Later, Deschanel, sang “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch. The Giants are so hip. Here’s to hoping the Giants are in the World Series by the time you read this. (BF)

4

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Local acoustic/country/ folk duo Attwater released their first album, titled Live at Harlow’s, for free online last Tuesday. As the title suggests, the album was recorded live at Harlow’s in downtown Sacramento on Oct. 3. The great thing about live recordings is there is nowhere for the musicians to hide; mistakes can’t be edited out or overdubbed. Jonathan Richards and Erika Attwater thrive in the live setting and it clearly shows. Attwater’s vocal performances are goosebump-inducing and Richards’ clean guitar playing and vocal harmonies round out their honed sound extremely well. The two have been playing as much as possible around town the last few months at venues like Fox & Goose and Marilyn’s on K, earning rave reviews from venue owners and patrons alike. The two will head into the studio within the next month to record a single with a full band; after that, they’re planning on releasing an EP and touring. To get Live at Harlow’s for free, head to www.noisetrade.com/attwatermusic or catch them on Oct. 29 at Naked Lounge, Oct. 30 at Global Cafe in Roseville or Nov. 11 at Fox & Goose.

I stopped into J Street Hydrogarden last week to BS with owner Chris Corsello about how awesome Robin Williams was the night before at his somewhat secret last-minute performance at Crest Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 17, when I ran into a member of local punk group Machete. He informed me they were heading into Pus Cavern Studio soon to work with Joe Johnston on a new full-length album, which got me all excited because this band rocks! Keep an eye out for that, or better yet, keep an eye out right here in the pages of Submerge because chances are we’ll feature these guys before the record drops in a couple months.

Folsom-based rock band Breva is readying their new album, tentatively titled American Landscape, for an early 2011 release via Monolith Records. The album was produced by Zac Diebels (Automatic Static, Simon Says) and mixed by Shaun Lopez (Far, Deftones, The Revolution Smile), so sonically speaking this record is sure to be huge. Catch some of the new songs live on Nov. 17 at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom and be sure to keep up with the band on Facebook so you can keep an eye out for the new record.

Damien Verrett of local indie outfit The Speed of Sound in Seawater reached out to Submerge recently to get his newest project called Mansion Closets on our radar. I’m glad he did, because I’ve spent a fair amount of time listening to their recently released online-for-free EP titled You Always Do This over the last couple weeks. Think The Postal Service meets Tegan and Sara, if that makes any sense. Verrett enlisted the help of Juliana Lydell of The Dreaded Diamond to sing and collaborate on lyrics. Verrett and Lydell met through their mutual friends in A Lot Like Birds (Lydell did some guest vocals on their album Plan B) and they immediately clicked creatively when Verrett sent Lydell some of the home recordings he was working on for Mansion Closets. Hear their chemistry for yourself by downloading You Always Do This at www. mansionclosets.bandcamp.com. (JC) Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

A HALLOWEEN MASSIVE

The Optimistic Pessimist Props and Stops: A California Initiative Voting Guide

Bocephus Chigger bocephus@submergemag.com

Voter propositions can be ridiculously complex. With so many pitfalls and landmines, you are going to need to educate yourself. Lucky for you, I’ve trudged through the vast political blog and newspaper endorsement wasteland to bring you my Nov. 2, 2010 General Election California Initiative Voting Guide!

Proposition 19: Yes Prop. 19 will legalize the possession and cultivation of weed under California law for people 21 years and up and will open the door to taxation of sale by cities. There are some complaints with the proposition, especially in the areas of enforcement and how much money it will actually make the state, but that’s what happens when you let a weed head write your law. Drug enforcement of marijuana offenses is a waste of everyone’s time and money. So go ahead and fire up that blunt, just don’t get so high you forget to vote!

Propositions 20 & 27: No & No I think it’s state law that we have at least one redistricting measure on every ballot. This year we scored two! I generally vote no on redistricting measures and this year is no exception. Prop. 27 repeals the redistricting measure we passed in 2008 (Prop. 11) before the commission it created even gets a chance to redistrict anything. Sounds like an efficient use of our time or money to me! Prop. 20 extends the Prop. 11 commission’s redistricting control to California’s 53 seats in the House of Representatives. While I’m willing to give this commission a shot, my fear of government’s innate ability to screw us all prevents me from putting all my eggs in that basket.

Proposition 21: Yes Hippies, naturists, and campers, unite!

California’s state parks are in the shitter; bears are on unemployment and raccoons are hooked on meth. If Prop. 21 passes, the gub-ment will increase the pain of your yearly vehicle registration a tad to better fund state parks. We’ve been killing these forests with our rides for years, so it’s only fair that we have to cough up a little extra for the privilege. As a bonus, you get free admission and parking at any state park where you can vent your frustration at the new vehicle tax by carving “Fuck Taxes” into one of the stateowned picnic tables.

Proposition 22: No Prop. 22, if passed, would basically prevent the state government from using fuel tax revenue for purposes other than the local government projects for which they were originally intended. Prop. 22 is gonna bitchslap those Sacramento bullies and stop them

SubmergeMag.com

from taking your town’s cash! Besides, local government is way better at handling this money; just ask the city council members of Bell, California who were recently charged with misappropriating millions of dollars in public money for personal use. Much better…

Proposition 23: No Californians are innovators and trendsetters and this is never more apparent than with our environmental laws. Passage of Prop.

23 would suspend a 2006 law that aims to reduce greenhouse gas levels by 2020 until the unemployment rate drops below 5.5 percent for a year. The unemployment rate, currently at 12 percent, has only dipped below 5.5 percent three times since 1970, so that’s a totally achievable goal. In the meantime let’s stop dipping into the oil industry’s massive profit margins and do what’s right. Or, we could actually try to do something about global warming before it destroys the planet.

Proposition 24: Yes Those knuckleheads in the State Legislature passed laws in 2008 that would further reduce corporate state tax liability. Prop. 24 will reverse these changes before they fully take effect in 2011. I can’t lie. My vote is mostly an act of revenge for all the shit we’ve been put through by Corporate America. The threat of them leaving is just not enough to have me bending over that barrel again. So I say, suck it, bitches!

Propositions 25 & 26: Yes & No How many idiots does it take to pass a budget in California? Currently, it’s a two-thirds majority of both the Senate and Assembly.

As any furloughed worker can tell you, this is damn-near impossible. Prop. 25 drops the requirement to a simple majority. Clearly, the old way is broken and in need of change. On the flipside, Prop. 26 tries to take the old mantra even further by extending the twothirds majority voting requirement to pretty much anything else tax related. Obviously, our legislators have been the best of friends so far, so this idea should work smashingly!

There you have it, one less excuse to avoid voting. But you’re smart, I’m sure you will think of others.

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 30TH Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

5

Your Senses SEE HEAR TASTE Touch

TASTE

$1 Beer, Wine, Soda and Hot Dogs at Cal Expo’s Harness Races On Saturdays at Cal Expo from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during their exciting harness races, beer, wine, sodas and hot dogs are only $1 each! On top of that, parking and admission are both free!

Talk about a great way to have fun with some friends or family on the cheap. For more information about Cal Expo Horse Racing, visit www.calexpoharness.com.

hear

Tons of Amazing DJs at “Nightmare on **th Street” If your Halloween weekend plans don’t include stopping by what just might be the best party in town, you seriously need to reconsider. Nightmare on **th Street is going to be an eight-hour musical party experience in a secret (hence the title of the event not having the street name), secured and confirmed downtown Sacramento location. This massive party will consist of two rooms totaling over 10,000 square-feet with more than 20 DJs and live performers keeping the party going all night and well into the morning.

Room 1 will be the “Electronic/Dubstep/High Energy” room and will feature DJ Unite from San Diego (who in the last two years has toured and/or performed with Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, Stephen Marley, Snoop Dogg and more), as well as some of Sacramento’s finest including Billy Lane, Riff Raff, Whores, El Conductor, Vik Rokit, Tha Fruitbat and Jay Two Thow Zen. Room 2 will be the “High Grade Lounge,” boasting more of a reggae-infused vibe with music from DJs ESEF, Wokstar, Selekta Lou, Juan Love, Selector KDK, Ras Matthew, Kris Ward, Big Silky and special guest live band The Storytella’s. There will, of course, be cheap drinks available for those old enough to enjoy adult beverages. Costumes are not mandatory, but come on, it’s the night before Halloween—don’t be a Scrooge, get dressed up! Just make sure your costume still allows ample movement, because you’ll be dancing your ass off come midnight. Tickets are available ahead of time at United State Boutique, located at 2318 J Street, for just $10 a pop. Tickets are also available online at sachalloweenmassive.eventbrite.com. The location of the party will be announced the day of the event at noon.

SEE

Free Screening of Inception at Sacramento State

TOUCH

Learn to Make Healthy, Low-Fat and Authentic Tamales Our friends at Spanglish Arte (located at 905 23rd Street in Midtown) are always hosting interesting and exciting workshops and their next ones scheduled are no exception.

On Nov. 6 and Nov. 20 for only $35 you can learn how to make healthy, low-fat, authentic tamales, and you’ll even leave with a dozen of your own! Workshops are held from 10 a.m. to noon. If interested, be sure to sign up ahead of time by calling (916) 446-1213 because their classes tend to fill up. For more information about Spanglish Arte, visit www.shopspanglish.com.

6

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

On Thursday, Nov. 4 inside the University Union Ballroom at Sacramento State, our homies from Unique Programs are hosting a free screening of the summer blockbuster Inception. This highly acclaimed sci-fi thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page and is the latest offering from writer/ director Christopher Nolan, who’s best known for his work on The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, The Prestige and Memento. Go see a flick for free that a lot of your friends probably paid almost $20 for earlier this summer.

Movie starts at 7:30 p.m.

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

7

Audio Express — Sacramento Submerge — 10/25/2010

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

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Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Getting It Done

Appetite’s Teddy Briggs foregoes waiting for a label and releases his latest album on his own Words Blake Gillespie | Photos Jesse Vasquez In the least dramatic of interpretations possible, Teddy having anything at shows for people to take home,” he said, Briggs would rather devote his time to creative outlets which is why Briggs is self-releasing Scattered. Smothered. over the necessary habit of satisfying his stomach.

Covered. on Bandcamp.com the day of his release show and While all your friends are becoming foodies, getting bringing along CD-Rs to sell. “If someone wanted to do an off on the exhilarating release of flavor, Briggs is busy actual release on a label, that’d be great,” he said. “But I’m denying himself sustenance while writing songs about not going to wait.” being over food.

Briggs considers Obstructive Vibrations more of a Appetite is the solo project of Teddy Briggs, drummer stepping stone for musicians than a label that is interested of What’s Up?. He totally understands the irony of his in career-building. It’s a fitting analogy, as his debut in moniker, but it’s not deliberate. It just came together the comparison to Scattered. Smothered. Covered. is a weirdo way things do sometimes, much like the title of his new introduction that garnered enough interest for Briggs to record, Scattered. Smothered. Covered. The inspiration for take the project seriously and tighten up the sound to a more the title lies in Southern slang for how you like your hash mature level than freak-folk songs about crack for hippies. brown potatoes. “I feel those words represent different “All that old shit was pretty ambition-less,” he said. “It was ways I feel,” he said. “Covered, not meaning covered up, just what I’d do for fun. At that point it was never a project but meaning I’m covered, like, ‘You’re that I really wanted to perform.”

“Since I played good.’ Feeling scattered and feeling Briggs is a drummer by trade, a trait everything [on the smothered, but also feeling like you’ve that is denied in his work as Appetite. got everything together is more or less album], I have a very Briggs felt complimented when I expressed the same thing. Those emotions are that the record did not sound as though it specific thought happening so often for me at the same was made by a drummer—not trying to and sound I want it time. It just spoke to me.” dis, but you won’t mistake Appetite for to be in my head. That a Zach Hill side project. Briggs plays all Briggs discovered the slang while is just not going to the instruments on the record (recorded out to breakfast with a friend from the south in San Francisco. He told her in five days at Hangar Studios), save for a happen with other during that meal his next album would few. “[Robby] was inspired by what I was people playing. I’m bear the name. “Instead of trying to doing live, which is super stripped-down,” not saying they rethink it when the album was made, Briggs said. “We left out the sound bytes wouldn’t do their I stuck to that thought,” he said. “I and weird recordings. He was the one that jobs and bring their kept me from putting in a fifth vocal track think it’s very applicable to the record.”

One listen will confirm the and said, ‘This is fine.’” own thing to the applicability of the title, as Appetite Now that Appetite is becoming a table, but it’s still drifts from the tropicalia vibes of band meant for live interpretation, Briggs an awkward feeling.”

“Warn Me, Right,” that might gather is coping with the adjustment of hearing – Teddy Briggs, Appetite someone else play his songs, kind of like a comparisons to the trend toward prep school-afrobeat, to the American-born indie stomp of toned-down Brian Wilson mania. “Since I played everything, “Tussy.” Appetite could get critical nod to contemporaries I have a very specific thought and sound I want it to be such as Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend and Andrew in my head,” he said. “That is just not going to happen Bird, but is by no means eating from their silver plates with other people playing. I’m not saying they wouldn’t do and sampling their wines. Scattered. Smothered. Covered. their jobs and bring their own thing to the table, but it’s is far too mature and calculated for such novice missteps. still an awkward feeling.” As serious as Briggs is taking The first Appetite record, called The Ambiguous Appetite, he’s not at a point of pressuring band mates to Garment, was released on Obstructive Vibrations, a local sign on in blood or even have the “are you in or are you out” label run by Briggs’ band mate from What’s Up?, Robby conversation. “I think that’s better for everybody,” he said.

Moncrieff. Unfortunately the label is in hibernation, as “Over Food” is the parting ballad on the album, which Moncrieff is engulfed in a multitude of projects, letting ties into the unplanned, yet undeniably heavy-handedness the website remain dormant. It’s excusable, considering of Appetite’s food theme, a frustration that Briggs is quick Moncrieff recorded Briggs’ record, provided guidance in to point out himself. “I have a weird relationship with food,” the studio and shopped it to a few labels who heard the he said. “I enjoy food. I like the way it record, but didn’t bite. tastes. I also find eating to be a chore.

Appetite’s CD release show for Scattered. Smothered.

Briggs said he’s gotten positive feedback from people You have to eat in order to continue Covered. will take place he said “don’t really owe me anything” and friends alike. being productive. Eating is fuel. I eat at The Hub on Nov. 2. Also playing will be Nice Nice He admitted to not pushing hard due to a lack of industry fast and get it done.” (from Portland, Ore.) and contacts, so for now it’s the DIY route. “I’m sick of not Boss Magic.

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

11

Youth Gone Wild Ten After Two sets sights on debut EP, then the world

Words Bobby S. Gulshan | Photo phill mamula

M

y editor said, “I want you to interview this up-and-coming band from Roseville. Here is their demo.” I gave it a listen and thought, “Yeah, these guys can really bang it out. Let’s do it.” I asked if maybe we could arrange to meet at a bar, so I could have an excuse to do my job and drink at the same time. Turns out, not a one of them is old enough to get past the door. Coffee then?

The dilemma faced me cold and hard like the hangover I was hoping to have after the interview at the pub: How the hell am I going to interview some youngsters about the serious issues surrounding contemporary metal music, and do it sober? What are we going to talk about? Am I just getting old? What would Lester Bangs do?

Vincent Adorno (drums) and Sean Wall (vocals), of Ten After Two met me at Starbucks downtown, and they blew me away. Sure, their music kicks ass.

They deftly combine elements of technical metal precision with catchy, clean and melodic hooks that are as timeless as any angst-ridden power pop chorus.

Their soon-to-be-released EP, If You Don’t First, is incredibly well produced and exhibits a remarkable level of musicianship. It is at times brutally heavy, and at other times unrepentantly accessible.

Moreover, these guys are serious. Don’t let the “just out of high school” thing fool you. Ten After Two have a precocious feel for both the music and the music business. The forthcoming EP is the product of collaboration between Rise Records, Artery Management and Hot Topic. The tunes are precise and structured, and it became clear through the course of our conversation that these guys have a clear and precise vision of themselves and their creative endeavors.

12

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Tell me how you guys got started.

Vincent Adorno: Back in the day I used to jam with my buddy Pat [Hennion, guitar], after that we had this school thing between two schools, Oakmont and Woodcreek. And we found Josh [Doty, guitar/vocals] through that. He was the singer in this guitar class. Josh and Sean were in a band together at the time called Eleanor Manor. Josh and Sean joined us and we found Danny [Clark, bass].

So what are some examples of that?

SW: We can do more chord progressions. We can try something new. On the future full-length you will hear it, going out of the box and doing different sorts of harmonies and stuff.

You are pretty young guys.

VA: Yeah, I’m 17.

Sean Wall: I’m 20.

Other than rock and metal, what else are you listening to?

SW: When I think about it, we listen to a lot of stuff. Oldies, classics, electronica, anything that is good musically we listen to.

And this is why we are having coffee and not conducting this interview at the pub. So what made you guys interested in playing metal?

VA: We were into that genre at the time, and it’s a growing genre. And I see it as something that is only getting bigger.

SW: The genre lets us do a lot of things musically and allows us to put our own thing into it. We don’t have to feel so contained into something simple.

On the EP I noticed that you guys combine the melodic, clean vocal elements with the growling heavy vocals. Is that an example?

SW: Yeah, exactly.

Let me ask a similar question. What’s the exact opposite of the kind of band that you would want to be in?

VA: I don’t want to be in a band with people who aren’t serious about it. I am trying to do this as a career, so definitely nothing that is only about fun or just a personal thing.

SW: I hate really limited bands. I wouldn’t want to be in a band where all the songs sound the same.

So you are more interested in the idea of exploration and the endless possibilities of what you could do?

SW: Exactly. The endless possibilities of music.

In terms of making it a career, what does that mean for you?

VA: There is going to be a lot of work that goes into it. We are going to be totally broke for a while, but eventually we want to be able to make a decent living and have some fans really love it. I just want to do what I love and hopefully do it for the rest of my life. And this is what we all love doing.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

“We don’t like the way the kids act out here. People are really egotistical, even though they don’t have much to show for it.”

– Vincent Adorno, Ten After Two, on living in Roseville

So the EP is coming out on Nov. 9.

What is the deal with Hot Topic and the exclusive release?

SW: Our management hooked us up.

They had connections with Hot Topic and wanted us to do it. It will be available through Hot Topic and iTunes.

In terms of style, I know bands don’t like to be categorized, but we writers live and die on categories. Some might call what you do metalcore or emo-core. So what do you think of these labels?

SW: We are a rock band. We have straight 4/4 time, minor key type stuff.

You could call it alternative rock or whatever, but we are basically a rock band.

You guys love the breakdowns, don’t you?

VA: It’s what kids can relate to. I don’t know why, but these days the kids love it, and we love it too, so yeah. It’s heavy, and it’s what everyone feels.

They can feel the heaviness.

SubmergeMag.com

You guys show a certain level of musical sophistication. The songs are well structured and well put together.

You mentioned theory earlier, but what about technique? There seems to be an emphasis on technical ability in the songs.

SW: We like to be guitar-driven and very musical. I think our songs tell the story through the guitars.

There was one track, “Behind Locked Doors,” where that acoustic guitar comes in near the end, and I was blown away by how clean the production was on that.

SW: Yeah, Colby [Wedgeworth, producer] does some amazing stuff out of his house and at Hollywood North off of Douglas. It was a great time and the end result was killer.

What are some of the themes you guys are exploring with the music?

VA: So far it’s stuff about girls, I guess.

Some of it is about this reoccurring theme about home. It makes sense if you listen to it.

SW: It’s like taking the time to be introspective and knowing within you what home is. When do you know that you are completely comfortable? How well do you know yourself to know that you are at home?

Is it that where you are from isn’t necessarily where you are at home?

VA: It’s like a personal feeling, feeling whole and home in the universe.

SW: Like you are your own universe.

Does this relate at all to being from Roseville, which is nice but it’s still the suburbs, and it’s not that openminded a place?

VA: Well we all want to get out of there.

SW: Suburban scum.

VA: We don’t like the way the kids act out here. People are really egotistical, even though they don’t have much to show for it.

SW: These themes get brought up.

People have stuff, but don’t know happiness. They have material things but not much else. They don’t know themselves.

VA: And the world has gone to shit.

I feel you on that. So what do you guys have coming up?

SW: We are going to Florida in December, be there for a month.

VA: Yeah, we are going to go out there and record our full-length.

So what are the ingredients for future success?

SW: The fans, connecting with our fans.

VA: Fans and keeping up with the writing. We can’t overthink it. We can’t lose what we know. We lose the feeling if we think too much about it.

SW: Like Vinny is saying, we want our fans to be a big part of it. But if we try too hard to write for others, we are not going to be able to write it how we feel it, and in the end the people listening are going to be able to hear that.

Aside from the music, how else can you connect with fans?

VA: We want to try everything— contests and charity events. Basically anything to connect with people on a real human level is really important.

Touring?

VA: Yeah definitely, after the full length gets done.

SW: We are hoping to tour all next year, starting in the spring.

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Ten After Two’s debut EP will be available at Hot Topic starting Nov. 9. The album will also be sold on iTunes.

13

This Might Get Awkward Shocking Subjects, Sensationally: The Comedy of John Ross Words Joseph Atkins | photos Duy Ninh

J

ohn Ross is occasionally unshaven, his hair is regularly maintained, and he wears thin black glasses. He’s got a low-key demeanor emphasized by his polo shirts and Dickies pants. He’s got three kids, a stable marriage, and he just got a job selling plumbing supplies. He’s a regular, well, John. Oh, and as a hobby he writes and performs jokes.

Ross has a dry sense of humor that depends on awkwardness, absurdity, and tension. He’s not flamboyant, in your face or crazy on stage. Ross slowly threads out a joke, waits a few seconds to build the audience’s confusion, and then flatly drops the punchline.

After awkward crickets, suddenly everyone is laughing.

To summarize his story is to sensationalize it: Ross was born addicted to methadone, his parents were junkies, and he was molested once by a 12-year-old. But in talking to Ross, you’d never know such an average dude would have such an Oprah-esque backstory. But with his comedy, the audience is invited to laugh at and laugh with Ross: while he uses his sensational history for subject matter, he’s likely smiling the entire time and repeatedly shattering the boundaries of personal-information discomfort.

In July, Ross recorded his live set at the Sacramento Comedy Spot and since then has been hard at work editing it into a DVD feature. Ross will celebrate the DVD release of I Really, Really Love Me Nov. 13 by sharing the stage with his favorite local comedians and friends. We sat down just next to the Comedy Spot and discussed comedy, family and sensationalism over slices of pizza. For most of the interview, a group of children ran around us, sword fighting.

14

So, what does being born addicted to methadone mean?

It means my mom was born addicted to heroin, and my mom went on methadone to make sure I wasn’t retarded or developmentally disabled. There’s a weaning process, detox, when I was an infant. As far as I know there were no long-term effects. I don’t walk with a limp or anything. I do have a hard time focusing; I wonder sometimes if it has something to do with that. Or I’m just normal.

Your comedy relies a lot on your personal history. Why is that?

This sounds really cheesy, but I think I have a very interesting upbringing. Everything from being raised by junkies, to being Pentecostal Christian for a while—I’ve been through a lot of weird things. This might sound really retarded, but it might be an interesting story, so why not tell it? Not to exploit it. I’m not saying I think it’s a story that needs to be told to the world, but it’s a good story. A lot of my stuff is character-based, kind of true, kind of real, just embellished a little bit. I just tell you a story…

How did you decide that stuff would be a good subject for jokes?

It was kind of my first instinct when I started. I could do tons of dick jokes, jokes about having sex. If I do my parents are heroin addicts jokes, I know I’m not accidentally copying anyone. I’ve been doing jokes about when I was molested when I was 4, by a 12-year-old.

Yeah they’re pretty harsh subjects, but it’s fucking funny. I like to build tension, and then release it. And if you’re going to steal my joke, it’s going to be obvious. Everyone’s going to know it.

What is it about absurdity that is so funny?

It’s just that you can say something and not say anything at all. You can take a real issue, something that you’re passionate about, but unless you’re like George Carlin or something, no one wants to hear you. Absurdity can take something pretty far; you can say something you wouldn’t say in a regular conversation. I’ve got a joke that Elvis is a racist, and I’m like, “I’m already a fan!” The further you go, the

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

more obvious you’re not a racist. You can take a sensitive issue and go as far as you want; the further you go the more people know you’re not serious. They start uncomfortable and by the time you’re finished, they’re like, Thank God, he’s joking.

I think comedy is about awkwardness. I like to make feel people feel awkward, corporately. And let them know I’m messing around. I like to be as honest and absurd as I can. I don’t choke up. Anything horrible I try to make a joke out of; maybe it’s a defense mechanism.

I think your act is pretty funny, but I could imagine that some people might not really get what you’re doing. How do crowds react differently to your joke aesthetic?

With smart crowds you can get away with a lot more, people who know comedy. More conservative crowds, they just want to hear dick jokes, they don’t get subtlety. Lately I just say what I’m going to say.

I did a show in Woodland, and it was a great crowd. But I could tell that I was making them uncomfortable. I didn’t apologize, or I didn’t apologize too much. If I get a really conservative crowd that isn’t biting on anything, I will punish them. Sometimes it’s just fun to be on stage, tell the awkward story to your friends.

Part of your routine relies on a weird music-box device. What’s that called?

It’s called an Omnichord. With the Omnichord I have to be careful, anything more than 15 minutes, people start going, “What the fuck?

This is annoying.” In a shorter set, with the Omnichord, I like to do a lot of non-sequiturs, one-liners. You can get away with a lot of darker stuff with the Omnichord.

There’s a lot of shocking subject matter in your jokes. Would you consider your jokes in the tradition of shock?

I’m not going to say fuck just to say fuck. I’m not going to talk about junkies just because. I don’t go out to shock for the sake of shock. I’m not as edgy as some comics are. I’m actually fairly clean compared to some comics.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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When you’re writing material, do you have an agenda, or are you just trying to come up with funny things?

I’m only 32, but the older I get, the more agenda-ridden I get. If I want to talk about something, I just do. My daughter turned 1 the other day, and I was thinking about it, all the change she’s going to see in her lifetime, all the technology. And the one thing I hope she sees before she dies is her first white president. As long as she makes it to like 3, she’s pretty good. Like wow, she only knows a black president. How weird is that?

Race seems to be somewhat taboo in our culture. What’s up with that?

I do a lot of racial jokes. I try not to do racist jokes. Race is fascinating to me, and I don’t think you find a lot of white guys doing race jokes. I don’t make fun of the homeless, but I saw a homeless guy wearing a “World’s Greatest Dad” shirt. And I was like, that’s all I have to say. I saw him. That’s the end of that joke.

You’ve been performing comedy for six years; who have you performed with?

I got to open for Bobcat Goldthwait at Laughs Unlimited last year. I think he’s doing comedy just to pay for his divorce. He was really nice; he bought me dinner. I thought he was funny.

The biggest guy I ever opened for was Norm MacDonald. I was in Los Angeles, and my buddy runs the Hollywood Improv and he put me last on an early show. It was completely packed.

Right before I went up the promoter told me to cut my set to five to six minutes, Norm MacDonald had just shown up. And I’m like what the fuck! Norm MacDonald is my favorite. I love this guy. I had one of the best sets ever. I got done and I was shaking hands, and I look up and it’s Norm MacDonald. He was like, “You’re really funny there. That was really funny.” I was like, “Thank you, Norm MacDonald.” Oh my God. I floated back to my seat. I watched him bomb, it was funny. He was drunk. He’s a throwaway comic anyway. He doesn’t care.

That same night I met Nick Swardson. I talked with Gallagher at the bar too. My buddy told me he’s gay. I heard he tries to fuck young comics. He’s self-hating, that’s why he crushes fruit.

He was kind of bitter. My buddy was like, “Watch out, man.” I’m thinking, “Gallagher’s not gonna fuck me. Well maybe he could, if it would help my career.” We talked about my Omnichord. He gave me some good ideas on how to use it. It was pretty surreal.

That was the best night of comedy ever. One night in L.A. is like six months in Sacramento as far as networking. I just met a ton of people on an off night, a Sunday night.

What advice would you give to aspiring comedians?

If there’s something fucked up in your life, find it and make it funny. And don’t steal shit.

6412 Tupelo Drive Citrus Heights 916.725.3733

Thanks man.

Thank you. If you can, don’t make me look like a dick.

“I’m not going to say fuck just to say fuck. I’m not going to talk about junkies just because.

I don’t go out to shock for the sake of shock.”

– John Ross SubmergeMag.com

2101 L Street Sacramento 916.441.3733

John Ross will celebrate the release of his DVD, I Really, Really Love Me, at the Sacramento Comedy Spot on Nov. 13. Tickets are $10, and the show time is 7 p.m. DVDs will be on sale at the event for $7. For more information, go to www.saccomedyspot.com.

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

17

Silently To And From The Heave Of The Water, 30” x 24,” Oil On Canvas, 2010

I Too Saw The Reflection Of The Summer Sky In The Water, 20” x 24,” Oil On Canvas, 2010

But As For Me, For You, The Irresistible Sea Is To Separate Us, 15” x 19,” Oil On Board, 2010

18

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

I Hear Not The Volumes Of Sound Merely, 20”x 20,” Oil On Canvas, 2010 Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Conversations With Whitman Artist Jeffery Felker puts his appreciation for Walt Whitman on Canvas Words James Barone

Literature majors, by nature and necessity, are fixated on written language. Jeffery Felker would appear to be no different. He holds a master’s degree in English literature from Sacramento State, where he also completed his undergraduate studies, and currently works as a part-time adjunct English professor at American River College. It should follow that in his free time, Felker is most likely hunched over a keyboard (perhaps an old manual typewriter, if you’re a romantic), meticulously writing well into the wee hours with designs on authoring the Great American Novel. However, that’s not the case. For Felker, the brush has won out over the pen as his tool of choice in forging his artistic vision.

“I do write, just not that often,” Felker, a Sacramento native, admits. “It’s something more like, hey, I’m in the mood. I’ll do it. But that’s as far as I’ll go with writing.”

Felker earned a minor in art studio while an undergrad at Sacramento State, and it’s served him well. His latest series, The Poetics of Music at Sea, contains 16 pieces (11 paintings and five drawings), and recently opened at the Union Gallery on Sacramento State campus on Oct. 4. It’s a solo show, and his first at the Union, as well as his first solo show in a couple of years. Felker says he was pleased with the opening, which he estimates drew 60 to 80 patrons—certainly a respectable welcome from his alma mater. However, the humor of debuting his latest series of paintings at the school from which he holds a master’s in literature is not lost on him.

“It was kind of weird,” Felker says. “I got my BA and master’s there, so it was like, ‘Shouldn’t I be coming back for a dissertation on an English thesis?’ It’s kind of ironic, right? I didn’t major in art there, and yet I’m showing there. It was kind of funny.”

While his creative focus is on his visual art, Felker has not abandoned his literary background. The Poetics of Music at Sea is inspired by the writings of the great American poet Walt Whitman. The titles for the pieces in the series were taken from lines from Whitman’s poems. Originally, the series was meant to encompass the work of several different poets, but Felker decided paring the number down to just one would deliver a more “powerful message.”

“It had been a year since I’d actually reinvested time in English and literature, because I was spending so much time prepping for my classes,” Felker says of his decision to focus solely on Whitman’s work for The Poetics of Music at Sea. “I re-found my desire for that kind of literature. I was really digging his stuff.

I found so many great quotes, it was like, this guy really spoke to me.”

The Poetics of Music at Sea will show at the Union Gallery now through Nov. 4. Felker has a couple of group shows on the horizon that will take place in Southern California early 2011—one in Venice and the other in Anaheim, which will have a “circus theme.” He says he’s also planning to co-curate a show with his friend Glenn Arthur from Orange County, Calif. Felker says he has four artists other than himself already lined up and that the show will be “a revitalization of fairy tales” that will take familiar stories re-appropriated by a certain Mouse for mass consumption back to their darker roots. He hopes the show will debut in early 2012. In the following interview, Felker clues Submerge in on his background and the thought process behind his current series of paintings.

The name of your current exhibit is The Poetics of Music at Sea. I thought it was interesting that you used sea imagery in the title, but Sacramento is sort of a landlocked, valley city.

It’s sort of iconic, the sea. There’s a lot of association with the sea in English, at least in my background in English. My concentration was in 19th Century literature. Seafaring was sort of a popular topic in the Victorian era.

The main connection there is with Walt Whitman. The sea is an image, at least for Whitman; water imagery in and of itself is an ode to the power, the birth that water can bring. He was very into earthy things and nature, and he was always commenting on those things in his poetry. I’m kind of concentrating on water as an opposite, as more of a negative.

When did you discover Whitman? Was it through your studies or was he a writer you connected SubmergeMag.com

with prior to your time as an English lit major?

I’d heard about Whitman. I’d read a few of his poems, but it wasn’t until my undergrad work, where I was really required to dig into his poetry, that I got really connected to what he was talking about.

Was there a poem in particular that really clicked for you?

Probably “I Sing the Body Electric.” I had to read so much of it, you know what I mean? [Laughs] When you look at Leaves of Grass, there are parts of it that kind of stick out. That’s what I was going with here, too, these specific elements that were speaking to me as far as visually.

You said that you’re using water as a sort of negative in this series of paintings, whereas Whitman used water more positively. Is this sort of your rebuttal to his work?

I don’t know if he necessarily always saw it as a positive. There are some poems where the connotation there is not positive—or less than positive—as far as seafaring. But to me, it was interesting to flip that, because I like contrasts and contradictions, so using music as the positive, kind of fending itself off from the seas.

Do you see music and the sea as opposing forces, in a way?

At times, in the work it’s more expressive, where they’re juxtaposed against each other. In other times, it seems like it’s a never-ending struggle.

Looking at some of the paintings in the series, there seemed to be a nostalgic feel to the characters and settings. Was that something you were trying to put forth in the work?

Yeah, definitely. When you look at a lot of the clothing and stuff, it has that Victorian look to it. It’s a time period that influences a lot of the styling and things like that. At least with the clothing—not necessarily the style of the person, concerning hair and things like that, but definitely the clothing is an ode to that. Again, that goes back to reading those 19th Century novels. It’s just a visualizing thing when you’re reading literature from those time periods, that you’re engrossed in not just what the character is going through, but the culture that’s surrounding them. All those images have influenced my work.

“When you look at Leaves of Grass, there are parts of it that kind of stick out. That’s what I was going with here, too, these specific elements that were speaking to me as far as visually.”

– Jeffery Felker

Studying literature requires a lot of reading criticism and writing papers. Do you see your paintings as another way of interpreting what you read?

I think so. To me, when I was doing this and connecting Whitman to the imagery, I was like, “Should I be writing a 15-page thesis on this too?” Luckily, I avoided that [laughs]. It’s not like it’s less work or anything, but maybe I’m using Feminist Theory and Historical Theory to get that through and express that through my work. A lot of people who aren’t English majors probably wouldn’t understand that—they probably wouldn’t see that, but it definitely plays a part for sure.

One of the paintings in particular that really stood out to me was I Hear Not the Volumes of Sound Merely. Could you talk a little bit about your process behind that one?

That was the first one that I started working on. I started that one way back in 2009 when I was finishing my master’s degree. I just started with two layers of paint, and then I didn’t touch it for eight months until I finished my degree. I had an idea then of what I wanted to do with the series. It’s kind of weird when you have to put things on hold like that, but that’s how painting is.

When I think of the piano and the movement of sound inside the piano itself, the continuality of vibration throughout the piano— thinking of that, I can see a correlation with that quote. It spoke to me in a way that kind of surpassed music, actually, so it’s almost like the music isn’t enough to contain, just like the emotion that is drawn from that or influenced from that… Maybe that’s a weird quote [laughs].

For more information on Jeffery Felker, check out his website www.studiologica. com. The Poetics of Music at Sea will show now through Nov. 4 at the Union Gallery, located on the second floor of the University Union Building, at Sacramento State. Gallery hours are Mon.–Fri., 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m; Wed.– Thurs., 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Admission is free.

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

19

Celebrate the Music

Beloved Sacramento band Mister Metaphor to reunite on Nov. 6 Words Jonathan Carabba

Bands form and break up all the time; it’s what they do. What’s extremely rare, though, is for a band to become more popular after they’ve broken up, to gain hype without even playing shows, with no self-promotion whatsoever. Such is the case with Mister Metaphor, a Sacramento-based four-piece post-punk/experimental group who had a good, albeit rather brief, run back in the early to mid-‘00s. In order the achieve this sort of post-break-up popularity, one thing is for certain: the music has got to be really, really good to withstand the test of time, to remain relevant throughout the years and to not get lost in one’s CD booklet or erased from one’s iPod. Mister Metaphor’s music had all the ingredients: It was technical and highly skilled, but not so much as to make your head hurt counting time signatures; it was fast and high-energy, but not enough to scare people away; it was melodic and memorable, but not too pop-y or sugarcoated to make you want to vomit when the chorus came around.

Their music had a little something for everyone, and it struck a chord with those who were lucky enough to discover the band, whether during their time together or after the fact.

Mike Sparks, Mister Metaphor’s co-guitarist/lead vocalist (who later went on to form the band Bridges, which ultimately became By Sunlight) knows first-hand the capability of good music to spread. “As the years have passed, especially the last three with all the touring that By Sunlight has done, one out of every two shows we‘ve ever played on tour some kid has come up to me and said, ‘Are you the guy from Mister Metaphor?’”

Sparks admitted to Submerge during a recent interview. “For a lot of people during that time frame, it just sort of got to them. It was what they wanted to hear.”

20

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

“It’s going to be an emotional night. There were a lot of feelings invested in this band, and I can’t wait to get all that energy in one room.”

– Mike Sparks, Mister Metaphor

Justin Goings, Mister Metaphor’s drummer (who has played in a slew of credible bands with regional ties including Playing to the Grandstand, O! the Joy and Jeepster), has had a very similar experience since they disbanded. “I’ve talked to so many people that have said, ‘Man, I never got to see that band and that’s one of my favorite bands,’ and I’m always like, ‘Wow!’ I’ve met so many people like that after the fact,” Goings said.

Again, all of this is rather surprising considering that Mister Metaphor was only a band for about three years, played less than a hundred shows and put out two EPs, only one of which ever saw a proper release (Die on the High Road, released on Omnibus Records). “It was really brief,” Goings said of the lifespan of the band. “It went by really quickly. It was like going down a chute or something, and I got spit out the other end and I was like, ‘That’s it?’”

Turns out, that wasn’t it. Earlier this year, Francis Eastman, a good friend of the band and member of Oakland’s Echo Location, proposed to Sparks that Mister Metaphor should reunite for one last performance. “It was the end of the night after some show, and me and Frank were a little drunk and we were sitting out on his front porch,” remembered Sparks.

“Basically, he asked that because he was turning 30 this year he wanted to have a Mister Metaphor reunion show.” Sparks agreed, contacted the other members and it was eventually set in stone: Mister Metaphor would reunite for one show on Nov. 6 at Townhouse Lounge in Sacramento. But who was this Eastman guy and how did he have enough clout over the band to coax them into reuniting after all these years? Surely the members of Mister Metaphor had been bombarded with random requests to reunite many times before, so why now?

“He paid for our last EP,” Sparks admitted with a chuckle. “He paid for it outright. It actually got recorded about a year or maybe even two after we were broken up.”

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

A-ha! Now it makes sense why Mister Metaphor owed it to Eastman. He had done them a huge favor years before by funding a trip to The Hangar to work with engineer Robert Cheek to bust out five songs they had written but never captured on record. Doing this show was a simple matter of paying Eastman back then, right?

Wrong. It’s deeper than that. “It was a little bit more than that,” remembered Sparks. “He’s a really good friend of ours. And honestly yeah, fuck; we do owe it to him. But it just felt kind of right. We never really had a farewell show or anything. The band just disintegrated really, really rapidly.” Sparks recalled that they had attempted to do one final show after recording the Eastman-funded EP (which never was officially named nor released, it was only available online for free download via the band’s now-defunct website), but that it never worked out.

This time felt different. “It just felt like a good thing,” Sparks said. “Of course he instigated it, but I think all of us had this weird lack of closure or something. We never got to just stand there one time and go, ‘OK, here we are.’”

Thanks to Eastman, whom Goings even described as “somewhat of a fifth member,” that chance is finally upon the members of Mister Metaphor. They finally will get to stand on a stage and pay respect to each other, to their supporters, to the music and especially to Eastman. “This whole thing is happening because of him,” Goings said. Since it seemed like Eastman was such a pivotal part to this story, we contacted him to ask what it is about Mister Metaphor that

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Hearing certain bands can take you to a different time and place.

Good friends, good music, good times: the recipe to so many of our upbringings.

“I feel like the big thing beyond basically saying thank you to Frank for paying for our record is I don’t feel like we ever got a chance to thank everybody who was enthusiastic about the band,” shared Sparks as our conversation came to a close. “It’s going to be an emotional night. There were a lot of feelings invested in this band, and I can’t wait to get all that energy in one room. It’s going to feel Mister Metaphor will reunite on Nov. 6 at Townhouse Lounge. good to celebrate that band the way it Opening will be Eastman’s band, deserves.”

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SubmergeMag.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

21

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

refined tastes

The Circle of Meat Flaming Grill Café 2319 El Camino Avenue • Sacramento words Anthony Giannotti • Photos Breanna Giannotti

If you prefer white linen or are a supporter of PETA, this is not for you. On the other hand, if you have a hunger for exotic meats and fresh food prepared unpretentiously in large quantities, keep reading. I had been hearing legend of Flaming Grill Café from numerous people for a couple of years, but I never could motivate myself to make the drive out of downtown. But when a trusted friend and former chef informed me Flaming Grill was ser ving a lion and gazelle burger (which he jokingly nicknamed “the circle of life burger”), I decided I had let my Midtowner, “if it’s not on the grid it’s too far away,” attitude keep me away long enough.

Last week a couple of my esteemed colleagues and I made the trip down El Camino Avenue to investigate Flaming Grill Café. To look at Flaming Grill isn’t much; it’s an old gas station with outdoor seating only. It is equipped with a few plastic windows to keep some of the bugs away, some ceiling fans slowly moving air around and poured concrete seats and tables. It is ver y reminiscent of a small Southern Californian taqueria.

“I’ve been cooking for about 25 years,” owner and sole cook Jose Silva told me. “One day I was searching the for-sale section on Craigslist and found this little coffee shop for sale, so I bought it.” Not much is left of the coffee shop. “We tried selling small breakfast burritos and coffee, but it wasn’t working, so we asked the customers what they wanted,” he said. Obviously burgers were the cuisine of choice, and let me tell you, they don’t just ser ve your run-of-the-mill hamburgers.

SubmergeMag.com

Flaming Grill features some strange and delicious meats: buffalo, Kobe beef, antelope, elk, llama, ostrich, yak and wild boar, as well as a few “specialty while supplies last” meats such as alligator, kangaroo and the aforementioned lion. Since we had sampled many of their “standard” meats at other places, we opted for mushroom Swiss burgers with a kangaroo patty and upgraded our fries to the intriguing carne asada fries. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the lion and gazelle burger; however, I have been informed that it is back in stock in limited quantities on Fridays.

Before our burgers came out, our friendly waitress suggested we check out the beer coolers inside. “I like big hoppy beers,” Silva claimed. This was obvious by the contents of the coolers, which were filled with porters, pale ales and stouts. Flaming Grill keeps it semilocal, promoting many beers from Northern California breweries such as Lagunitas, Anchor Steam, Speakeasy and Sierra Nevada. It’s not all dark, strong beer, though.

They stock some of the harder-to-find lighter beers like Shiner Bock, Old Milwaukee and even Schlitz Original in a can!

When our burgers hit the table, we were slightly over whelmed by the sheer amount of food on the plates. They came complete with a heaping pile of fries smothered in melted cheddar cheese, carne asada, pico de gallo, sour cream and fresh sliced jalapenos. Some of the carne asada bits were cooked a little more than I like, but nonetheless it was still ver y good.

Oh and the burger— let me tell you about the burger.

The bun was fresh, slightly crisp on the outside but tender and sweet on the inside. Unlike cer tain chain burger joints that ser ve lettuce that is about to turn and unripe tomatoes, Flaming Grill uses vibrant, fresh lettuce and thick slices of rich, flavor ful, ripe tomatoes.

The sweet and nutty flavor of the Swiss cheese and mushrooms complemented the strong flavor of the juicy kangaroo patty. No, kangaroo does not taste like chicken. It is a much denser meat that is closer to beef. “I don’t like to season the meat or overload it with sauces,” Silva said. “I like to let the meat stand alone and speak for itself.” He also said that they have gotten hate calls from a few PE TA suppor ters, but “we can’t get any thing even close to the endangered species list. Ever y thing we have is legal in the States in cer tain quantities.” Silva also said if you don’t take his word that the meat is what they say it is, he’ll give you the number to his meat pur veyor and you can ask them.

Flaming Grill Café is about to celebrate its threeyear anniversar y and will be of fering a few specials on Nov. 4 , 5 and 6. When I asked Silva what meats we can look for ward to in the future he simply smiled and said, “Camel.”

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

23

904 15th Street 443.2797

Oct. 25 – Nov. 8

Between I & J • Downtown Sacramento

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10.25 10.27 10.28 10.29 Townhouse Ape Machine, Little Foxes, 9 p.m.

Vega’s Blues Jam, 7 p.m.

Torch Club Hans Eberbach, 5:30 p.m.; Lew Fratis Trio, 9 p.m.

thursday

Monday

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

G St Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club The Nibblers, Tender Cinders, DJ Larry Rodriguez, DJ Mike C, 9 p.m.

10.26 Tuesday

Capitol Garage Open Jazz Session w/ SalmonJoe, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

The Fire Escape Bar and Grill Carry the Torch, It Prevails, Havenside, Above the City, 5 p.m.

Fox & Goose Traditional Irish Jam Session, 7 p.m.

G St Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Open Mic, 6 p.m.; Amanda Shires, Rod Picott, Be Brave Bold Robot, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides Lipstick w/ DJs Shaun Slaghter, Roger Carpio, 9 p.m.

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

Press Club PBR Punk Night w/ Kill Devil, Walking Dead, Keeping Score, 9 p.m.

Shady Lady Chub City w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez, 10 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Wednesday

Blackwater Cafe Open Mic, 7 p.m.

The Boardwalk L.A. Guns, Steel Savior, The Absolutes, The Cosmonauts, Metalgrid, 7:30 p.m.

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

Colonial Theatre Pac Div, Doey Rock, C-Plus, Graphk, Ray Good, Gameboy, Chuuwee, Nome, 6:30 p.m.

Community Center Theater Presido Brass, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Steve McLane, 8 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Larry the Flower Vato, 10 p.m.

Marilyn’s Yoya, Greenhorse, Monkey Flower, Tony Bataska, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m.

Odd Fellows Lodge (Davis) Best Coast, A B & the Sea, Dog Party, Produce Produce, 8 p.m.

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

Powerhouse Pub Dogfood, Shitty Ramones, Hybrid Creeps, Rob 86, 8 p.m.

Shady Lady Straight, No Chaser w/ CrookOne, 10 p.m.

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

Morv an 9PM

Barcode Nightclub & Lounge DJ Wreck, DJ BTRIXX, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk All Names Taken, Plan Mute, Apt D203, For the Operator, The Alt/ Recluse, The Young Vintage, 8 p.m.

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

Center for the Arts Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Lasher Keen, 8 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

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

Fox & Goose Citta Di Vitti, Ross Hammond, Phillip Greenlief Trio, 8 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Somebody, 10 p.m.

Golden Bear Skin Tight w/ Shaun Slaughter, 10 p.m.

Luigi’s Fun Garden Eat Skull, Ganglians, Buk Buk Bigups, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s Rockstar Live Band Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Ron Reeser, DJ Slick D, DJ Dan Saenz, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides Pirahna Fighters (White Stripes cover band), Heart Shaped Sundae (Nirvana cover band), 9 p.m.

On The Y You Be the Rockstar Karaoke w/ Larissa, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Dave Russell, 9:30 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

Torch Club X Trio, 5 p.m.; The Insomniacs, 8 p.m.

Friday

300 Room Support the Rabid, No Beatings from Holly, We Are Rayged, 8 p.m.

Beatnik Studios Reggie Ginn, The Foxtails, Liani moore, 6 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Zoo Station (U2 Tribute), Petty Theft (Tom Petty Tribute), 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Wesley Avery, I-80, Penny, Fade, VeTaLiaN, 8:30 p.m.

Callison’s Bar & Grill White Minorities Free Halloween Show, 10 p.m.

Capitol Garage Get Down to the Champion Sound w/ DJ ESEF, 10 p.m.

Club 916 Evil Plan, The Nothing Society, Ventura, Fuel the Change, Heavy Liquid, 6 p.m.

Fox & Goose Hot Tar Roofers, A Touch of Grass, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear Crucial Fix w/ DJ Crook (Decibel Devils/Team Sleep), 10 p.m.

Harlow’s The Re-up feat.

Maseo of De La Soul, DJ MadPlanet, DJ Fooders, DJ RiffRaff, 10 p.m.

Marilyn’s The Stone Ghosts, Children of the Grave, Smirker, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Jus James, 9 p.m.

The Momo Lounge Bad Things Halloween Party w/ DJ Mark West, DJ Jurts, 9 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Live All On Seven, Attwater, 8:30 p.m.

JoHnny Guitar KnoX 5PM

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10.27 Best Coast

A B & the Sea, Dog Party, Produce Produce Odd Fellows Lodge (Davis) 8 p.m.

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

10.29 Shaun Slaughter

Fuck Fridays Haunted House w/ Still Flyin’, Strength, XLR8R, ALX-T, Jon Droll, Roger Carpio Townhouse 9 p.m.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Old Ironsides Goodness Gracious Me, Phantom Jets, Musical Charis, 9 p.m.

On The Y Dreaming Dead, Exhausted Prayer, Hoopsnake, Killgasm, New Plague, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Tainted Love, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

Red Hawk Casino Whiskey Dawn, 9:30 p.m.

The Refuge S-TAPP Halloween Bash, 7 p.m.

Social Night Club “Wicked” Halloween Party w/ DJs JB, Nate D, 9:30 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge DJs & Dancing, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Acoustic Trio, 5 p.m.; Mercy Me!, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Fuck Fridays Haunted House w/ Still Flyin’, Strength, XLR8R, ALX-T, Shaun Slaughter, Jon Droll, Roger Carpio, 9 p.m.

10.30 Saturday

The Blue Lamp Warp 11, Children Of The Grave, Skeleton Voodoo Monkey, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk VersaEmerge, Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer, Conditions, The Paper Melody, 7:30 p.m.

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

Center for the Arts Billy Bragg, 8 p.m.

Delta of Venus Halloween Costume Ball: pxl, Big Daddy Joe, Mr. Glass, Jordan and Vee, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose Be Brave Bold Robot, Felsen, 9 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Charlie, 10 p.m.

Golden Bear Halloween Haunted House Party w/ DJ Whores, DJ Crook, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Still Time, Zuhg, 10 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited 8 Tracks, 4 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe David Houston & The Strings, Wally, Christopher Fairman, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Radio Static, 9 p.m.

Mix Dance Party w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez Naked Lounge Downtown Live Mollymawks, Rosie Chesney, 8:30 p.m.

Old Ironsides Breaking Glass, The Hundred Days, This Luxury, 9 p.m.

On The Y Psychosomatic, Drastic Actions, Black Mackerel, Lessons in Failure, Number 13, 8 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Peeti V, 10 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Halloween Bash w/ Lou Dog Trio, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

Red Hawk Casino Superlicious, 9:30 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge DJs & Dancing, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Johnny Guitar Knox, 5 p.m.; Mind X Halloween Party, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Halloween Party w/ Secret Band (members of Dance Gavin Dance), A Single Second, The Lonely Kings, Fight Inside, Marc Wears Cloggs, DJs Desi, Blackheart, 8 p.m.

Townhouse Lite Brite, Walking Spanish, The Babs Johnson Gang, Children of the Grave, 9 p.m.

11.01

RESTaURaNT & NIghT clUB

Monday

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

G St Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Lions, Bats & Bears, 9 p.m.

10.31 11.02 Sunday

Tuesday

Barcode Nightclub & Lounge The Asylum w/ DJ Bryan Hawk, KJ Groth, DJ Darkstar, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Reggae Bashment w/ DJ Wokstar!, 9:30 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

The Fire Escape Bar and Grill Zombie Video Shoot w/ The Lurking Terror, The Left Hand, Skry, 6 p.m.

Golden Bear Industry Night, 7 p.m.

Harlow’s Fishbone, 10 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited A Stones Throw, 3 p.m.

Mix DJ Billy Lane, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides Dead Rock Stars Show w/ Adrian Bourgeous, Ricky Berger, I Scream on a Sundae, Breaking Glass, Ol’ Cotton Dreary, Captain God, Crazy Ballhead, The Onlymen, 2 or 3 Guys, 50 Watt Heavy Jet Black Pope, 8 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Crooked, DJ Billy Lane, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Powerhouse of Blues w/ John Lee Hooker Jr., 3 p.m.; Blues Jam, 7 p.m.

Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; Halloween Costume Party w/ Solsa, 8 p.m.

Arco Arena Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Drowning Pool, 6:30 p.m.

The Boardwalk Enter Shikari, Haste the Day, Sleeping with Sirens, MSWHITE, Lights Go Blue, 7 p.m.

Capitol Garage Open Jazz Session w/ SalmonJoe, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Traditional Irish Jam Session, 7 p.m.

G St Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Marilyn’s Open Mic, 6 p.m.; Bell Boy Music, 8 p.m.

Old Ironsides Lipstick w/ DJs Shaun Slaghter, Roger Carpio, 9 p.m.

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

T2 Nightclub & Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Kate Gaffney, 5:30 p.m.; Lew Fratis Trio, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Grimey w/ Commodore 69, Jamal, DJ Whores, Jay Two Thou Zen, MCs Skurge, Bru Lei, 9 p.m.

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SubmergeMag.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

25

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas N E W S & R E V I E W B U S I N E S S U S E O N LY DESIGNER

PG

ISSUE DATE

10.21.10

ACCT. EXEC.

JRB

11.03 Millionaires

Brokencyde, Kill Paradise, The Hit, The Greenlight District The Boardwalk 7 p.m.

11.03 Wednesday

Bisla’s Open Mic, 9 p.m.

Blackwater Cafe Open Mic, 7 p.m.

The Boardwalk Brokencyde, Millionaires, Kill Paradise, The Hit, The Greenlight District, 7 p.m.

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

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Larry the Flower Vato, 10 p.m.

Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m.

Odd Fellows Hall (Davis) Old Man Markley, Miss Lonely Hearts, the West Nile Ramblers, 7:30 p.m.

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

Powerhouse Pub Blackeyed Dempsies, Dry County Drinkers, Contagious, 9 p.m.

Press Club Hump w/ DJ Whores, 9 p.m.

Ruggles Warehouse Title Fight, Balance & Composure, Story So Far, American Scene, Build Us Airplanes, 6 p.m.

Shady Lady Straight, No Chaser w/ CrookOne, 10 p.m.

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

University Union Redwood Room, CSUS Tin Can Notes, 12 p.m.

The Boardwalk Dirty China, California FIG, Kal-el, Mr. P Chill, 8 p.m.

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

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

Club Retro The Slice of Summer, See Yourself, Jordan & Luke, Mack Spence, Michelle Waugh, Knox, 7 p.m.

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

The Fire Escape Bar and Grill Backflip!, Trial By Fire, The Golden Hour, Pledge The Silence, Belmont, 6 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Somebody, 10 p.m.

Golden Bear 100% w/ Shaun Slaughter, 10 p.m.

Luigi’s Fun Garden Lower Dens, Wife & Son, 8:30 p.m.

Marilyn’s Rockstar Live Band Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium Celtic Thunder, 7:30 p.m.

Mix DJ Ron Reeser, DJ Slick D, DJ Dan Saenz, 9 p.m.

On The Y You Be the Rockstar Karaoke w/ Larissa, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Erin McKinney Band, 9 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

Shaker’s A Single Second, DC Fallout, Walking Dead, 8 p.m.

Torch Club X Trio, 5 p.m.; Candye Kane, 8 p.m.

Vega’s Blues Jam, 7 p.m.

Golden Bear Crucial Fix w/ DJ Crook (Decibel Devils/Team Sleep), 10 p.m.

Harlow’s Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, 9:30 p.m.

Luigi’s Fun Garden Amberglance, Early States, 8:30 p.m.

Marilyn’s Contagious, Relic 45, Monomyth, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Jus James, 9 p.m.

Pistol Pete’s (Auburn) Z-Man, Tribe of Levi, Bru Lei, Defeye, Chozin, Odapt, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Audioboxx, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

Studio 21 (Rocklin) Call to Preserve, Venia, Dead Icons, Havenside, Bull True, These Nightmares, 7 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge DJs & Dancing, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Acoustic Trio, 5 p.m.; Laurie Morvan, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Fuck Fridays w/ DJs Shaun Slaughter, Jon Droll, Roger Carpio, 9 p.m.

11.06 Saturday

The Blue Lamp Tin Can Notes w/ special guests, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Blacksheep, Siphon Soul, Silence of the Grimm, Exylum, Our Endless Obsession, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Randy Santiago, Jaya, 8 p.m.

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

Club Retro Crimson Sky, Exhale, L.I.F.E., Thee Atlantic, No Where But Up, Queen Alice, If Cupid Used Bullets, Purgatory, Taking’s Not Stealing, American Art, Living With Giants, In Deep, 6 p.m.

G St Pub DJ Charlie, 10 p.m.

Golden Bear Sweaty w/ DJ Whores, 10 p.m.

Harlow’s Steelin’ Dan (Steely Dan tribute), 7 p.m.

Luigi’s Fun Garden Kelli Scarr, Lindsey Cook, Traditionalist, 8:30 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Myler & Starr, Step Jayne, & Odd Moniker, 8 p.m.

Marilyn’s The New Originals, 8:30 p.m.

Mix Dance Party w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Spider, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Superlicious, 10 p.m.

Press Club DJ Arnold, 9 p.m.

T2 Nightclub & Lounge DJs & Dancing, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Johnny Guitar Knox, 5 p.m.; Final Final Band, 9 p.m.

Townhouse Mister Metaphor (Reunion Show), Echo Location, DoomBird, The Dreaded Diamond, 9 p.m.

11.07 Sunday

Barcode Nightclub & Lounge The Asylum w/ DJ Bryan Hawk, KJ Groth, DJ Darkstar, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Reggae Bashment w/ DJ Wokstar!, 9:30 p.m.

The Boardwalk Miss May I, Bury Tomorrow, Abandon All Ships, The Crimson Armada, Nightmare In Twilight, Hugo Stiglitz, 7 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Golden Bear Industry Night, 7 p.m.

Harlow’s Bachata Lessons, 6 p.m.; Salsa Lessons, 7 p.m.

Mix DJ Billy Lane, 9 p.m.

On The Y You Be the Rockstar Karaoke w/ Larissa, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Powerhouse of Blues w/ Rick Estrin, 3 p.m.; Blues Jam, 7 p.m.

Press Club The Flower Vato’s Soul Party, 9 p.m.

Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; Mind X, 8 p.m.

Arco Arena Alan Jackson, Chris Young and The Band Perry, 6:30 p.m.

Barcode Nightclub & Lounge DJ Wreck, DJ BTRIXX, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp The Dave Rude Band, Silent Treatment, Gray Atlas, Sinister Scene, 7:30 p.m.

SubmergeMag.com

FRIDAY The Boardwalk Just Like Vinyl, A Lot Like Birds, The Speed of Sound in Seawater, 8 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Randy Santiago, Jaya, 9 p.m.

Capitol Garage Get Down to the Champion Sound w/ DJ ESEF, 10 p.m.

Delta of Venus Lions, Bats and Bears, Retrospekt, Social Studies, 9 p.m.

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

27

The Press Club Mon 10/25 9p $5 Wed 10/27 9p $3 Mon 11/01 9p $3

The Nibblers TeNder CiNders dJ larry rodriguez & dJ Mike C PBR PUNK NIGHT w/

kill devil WalkiNg dead keepiNg sCore

LIoNs, BaTs & BeaRs, Tba

Thurs-Sat DJ Arnold 9p $5

2030 P Street • Sacramento

916-444-7914 • Open at 10am Every Day booking: pressclubbooking@gmail.com

Tues 11/02 9p $3

321 CoMIC

Wed 11/03 9p $3

huMp W/ DJ WhOrES

Mon 11/08 9p $3

WalkiNg spaNish

hosTed by

Noel deWiTT

NoT aN airplaNe

Every Sun The Flower Vato’s Soul Party 9p $4

11.08 monday

The Boardwalk All Time Low, A Rocket to the Moon, City (Comma) State, 7:30 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

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

G St Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Luigi’s Fun Garden Desert Noises, Parlor Hawk, Doofydoo, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Walking Spanish, Not An Airplane, 9 p.m.

Comedy Laughs Unlimited Donald Lacy, Ellis Rodriguez, Oct. 27 - 31, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.

Open Mic Showcase, Nov. 2, 8 p.m.

Mike Marino, Brett Walkow, Nov. 3 - 7, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Keith Lowell Jensen’s Wednesday Night Comedy, Oct. 27 & Nov. 3, 8 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Worlds Worst Doctors Comedy Improv, Oct. 28, 8:30 p.m.

Punchline Comedy Club Maria Bamford, Oct. 27 - 28, Wednesday & Thursday, 8 p.m.

Brent Weinbach, David Huntsberger, Nato Green, Oct. 29 - 30, Friday, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 p.m.

Doug Benson’s Pot The Vote!, Oct. 31, 4:20 p.m.

Sacramento Comedy Showcase, Nov. 3, 8 p.m.

Roz G., Nov. 4 - 7, Thursday & Sunday, 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

supporting our advertisers

28

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

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

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

Sacramento Comedy Spot Oct. 26 & Nov. 2, Cage Match, 9 p.m.

Oct. 27 & Nov. 3, Improv 1 Continuous, 7 p.m.; Harold Night, 9 p.m.

Oct. 28 & Nov. 4, Improv 1 Continuous, 7 p.m.; In Your Facebook, 9 p.m.

Oct. 29, Halloween Costume Comedy, 8 p.m.; Hecklers Ball, 10 p.m.

Oct. 30, Spotlight Improv Showcase, 8 p.m.; Special Halloween ACL, 9 p.m.

Nov. 5, Ellis Rodriguez, WillieMac, Dennis Martinez, Carlos Rodriguez, 8 p.m.; Ellis Rodriguez, Michael Broussard, Michael O’Connell, Hunter Hill, 10:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Spotlight Improv Showcase, 8 p.m.; Anit Cooperation League, 9 p.m.

Nov. 7, Open Mic Scramble, 7 p.m.

Tommy T’s Kappa Komedy Tour w/ Donte Barret, E Clarke, Steph Sanders, D’Lai, Joe Claire, Oct. 28 - 30, Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Rachel Feinstein, Nov. 4 - 7, Thursday & Sunday, 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

University Union Ballrom, CSUS Free Comedy Show w/ Doug Benson, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.

11.0411.07

support submerge

by

com e dy & m i s c e l l a n eou s Ca l e n da r

Misc.

16th and J Streets Midtown Bazaar, Saturdays, 7 a.m.

Benvenuti Performing Arts Center CORE Dance Collective presents: The Doorway, Oct. 29 - 30, 7:30 p.m.

Beatnik Studios Art for Acres: A Benefit for Soil Born Farms, Nov. 7, 4 p.m.

Bisla’s Pub Quiz Trivia, Mondays, 7 p.m.

Bistro 33 (Davis) Pub Quiz, Mondays, 9 p.m.; Poetry Night, Every 1st Wednesday, 9 p.m.

Cal Expo: Miller Lite Grandstand Live Harness Racing, Fridays, 6:20 p.m.; Saturdays, 5:30 p.m.

Capitol Garage Trivia & Movie Night, Mondays, 9:30 p.m.

Fox & Goose Pub Quiz, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.

The Guild Theatre Movies on a Big Screen presents Halloween Trilogy of Terror: The House by the Cemetery, 4 p.m.; Horror Hotel, 5:45 p.m.; Night of the Living Dead, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 31 It’s All Yoga Free Yoga Class, Fridays, 4:30 p.m.

Luna’s Cafe Joe Montoya’s Poetry Unplugged, Thursdays, 8 p.m.

Sol Collective Salsa Dance Classes, Mondays, 7:30 p.m.

Townhouse Record Club Movie Night & Lounge, every Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

University Union Ballroom, CSUS Free movie screening: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oct. 27, 12 p.m.

Viva La Fashion Fall 2010 Charity Fashion Show, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

Free movie screening: Inception, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.

Rachel Feinstein, Thursday & Sunday, 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Tommy T’s

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The grindhouse

Show Me the Money!

Why Lie? I Need a Drink Apprehensive Studios On DVD Nov. 16

Words James Barone

What if that grimy looking guy who just asked you for change really wasn’t homeless at all?

What if, at the end of the day, he hops in his BMW and shoots straight out to his home in the burbs, or his vacation home in Tahoe? Is it possible to make more money panhandling than you can by, say, cooking fries at McDonald’s or some other thankless, albeit honest, gig?

It’s questions like these that are explored in Sacramento-based comedian Keith Lowell Jensen’s documentary, Why Lie? I Need a Drink, which is due out on DVD next month.

Known locally for his work with the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Comedy sketch troupe and also as part of the Coexist? Comedy Tour, Jensen gets the documentary off to a goofy start as he tries to discover if one can really make a good living from begging. He takes to the streets to get a first-person look at the world of panhandling, and at first his approach flirts with the absurd.

He dons a variety of costumes from a banana suit to mime makeup and arms himself with an arsenal of wacky signs—always punctuated with a “God bless”—to see what combination will earn him the most money. The absurdity reaches its peak when a man dressed in swimmies and goggles and wielding a pool noodle chases a banana-clad Jensen around a freeway off-ramp.

In addition to begging the old fashioned way, Jensen also takes panhandling into the cyber age.

He sets up a website where people can send him spare change, cold calls people whose numbers he finds on the Internet and even culls Yahoo chat rooms for those who may be sympathetic enough to dig through their pockets.

The humor sweetens what can be a bitter pill. Jensen and company, for all their shenanigans, present a well-rounded view of panhandlers and how we treat our homeless.

SubmergeMag.com

Interviews with both the beggars and the people they encounter run the gamut of emotions. One young man vents a lot of anger and resentment toward beggars, saying he’d like to spit on them; while another, perhaps of similar age, speaks from his past experiences with life on the street and says that he always tries to give money to those who ask. The film simply presents these arguments without showing its hand one way or the other, and for that, it’s to be commended.

Things seem to hit home for Jensen when he decides to ditch the costumes and go out panhandling in his regular clothes. One scene in which Jensen is begging in front of a post office in Roseville around Christmas time is especially effective. Shot with a hidden camera, a postmaster attempts to chase Jensen from the area while he pleads and protests that he’s got every right to stand there because it’s federal property. Though it’s obvious that Jensen is not destitute, it’s easy to imagine such a scene playing out in any town in America. As it turned out, the spot by the post office was Jensen’s most lucrative location, netting him upwards of $30. Most times out, however, he hardly earned enough to buy a cup of coffee.

Why Lie? I Need a Drink may not be the most hard-hitting examination of homelessness in the United States, but it’s certainly a humane one.

It paints an elegant and entertaining portrait of life on the streets, how the homeless are perceived and the murky legality that surrounds panhandling.

The film was shown in theaters around California, including the Crest in Sacramento, and even as far east as Albany, N.Y. On Nov. 4, the filmmakers will return to their hometown Crest Theatre for the Why Lie? I Need a Drink DVD release party. Admission is $15 and will include a copy of the DVD. Extras on home video release include a neat interview with Jensen conducted by local personality and horror host, Mr. Lobo, For more information as well as a handful of about the release party, or to pre-order deleted scenes. the DVD, go to www. whylieineedadrink.com.

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Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

29

\

halloween nighT sunday

oCT 31 haRlow’s 2708 J sT. sacTo 21 & oveR 8:00pm

friday

nov 5

“how you like me now”

blue lamp 1400 alhambRa blvD. sacTO • 21 & Over 9:30pm

The mumleRs RogeR(foRmeR clyne & The peacemakeRs friday singeR of The RefReshmenTs) sToll vaughn

special TasTing of RogeRs’ new bRanD of Tequila

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

gReg laswell

Fences • Harper Blynn

blue lamp • 1400 alHambra blvd. • saCto • 21 & over • 8:00pm

colD waR kiDs we baRbaRians

H a r lo w ’ s • 2708 J st. • s aC to 18 & ov er w/I d o nly• 6:30 pm

kelleR williams

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

gRacious few

(membeRs of live anD canDlebox)

Danielle baRbe

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

TRuTh & salvage co.

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

soulive

nigel hall (fRom leTTuce)

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

pinback

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

abstract entertainment 30

nov 5

Tuesday

nov 9

Thursday

nov 11

Thursday

nov 18

monday

deC 6

Tuesday

deC 7

Tuesday

deC 14

Thursday

deC 30

TickeTs available aT: The beaT (17Th & J sT.), Dimple RecoRDs oR online aT www.evenTbRiTe.com oR www.TickeTs.com TickeTs foR haRlow’s shows also available aT www.haRlows.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

the shallow end Sow Impressionable James Barone jb@submergemag.com My love for late-night infomercials is well documented. I love the gimmicks and scams and personalities; the ultra-fake talk-show format, the spectacular acting and the paid studio audiences. Do infomercials exist in foreign countries? They probably do, but they feel like a uniquely American art form.

Lately, my infomercial viewing has found religion, and why not? Organized religion is probably humankind’s longest running and most successful infomercial. Religion has the best gimmicks at its disposal, be they supreme saviors rising from the dead or an afterlife filled with a billion virgins. Not even Ron Popeil could touch that, not with all the Pocket Fishermen or RonCo Food Dehydrators in the world.

Before I go any further, I should mention that I don’t have any problem with religion. I think religion, at its core, is a beautiful idea.

It brings people together and makes the impossible to understand— i.e., “Why are we here?”

“What does it all mean?” and “What happens when we die?”—far less daunting. You could throw all the science you want at these questions, and I bet everyone would fawn all over you for being a big ol’ smarty pants, but it wouldn’t provide anyone much in the way of comfort, understanding or community.

Religion’s a wonderful tool. When placed in the right hands, it can do wonderful things for a lot of people. So, this column isn’t targeted at you or your wonderful pastor, priest, rabbi, imam or shaman. What I’m talking about here is the snake-oil salesmen, or the wolves in sheep’s clothing, or, more specifically, Dr. Mike Murdock.

Dr. Murdock is everything you’d expect from a televangelist. He’s charismatic—even funny sometimes. His speech can go from soothing to fiery at the drop of a hat. He has great hair. My favorite feature, though, is his nearly invisible headset microphone; it’s so small and well concealed, it looks almost like a Tylenol capsule that hovers just above the corner of his mouth.

Murdock’s key gimmick, as far as I can tell, is his Law of the Seed. He advises on his program that if you sow seeds, God will grant you a harvest. The “seed,” of course, is a parable. He’s not asking his faithful to start a garden, though he doesn’t seem outright

opposed to the idea. Have at it. Plant some tomatoes, but if you want to plant a seed with God and reap the benefits, according to Dr. Murdock, it’s best if you send cold, hard American Cash.

Tithing and religion have always gone hand in hand. The custom varies from sect to sect, denomination to denomination. God’s allseeing and all-knowing, according to another great earthly prophet named George Carlin, but he’s just not good with money. He needs it, maybe; or more likely the church needs money to pay civilian employees, keep their cupboards stocked, and if they’re doing the right thing, for charitable programs in their community. But how much should you give, if you’re pious? Pocket change? Ten percent of your salary? It’s so ambigious. Dr. Murdock eliminates that tedious guess work—$1,000 will suffice.

He understands that the economy is bad. People are getting laid off, are losing or have lost their homes. They’re riddled with debt. But none of these things should be seen as obstacles in getting on the phone and dropping a grand (operators are standing by). If you’re buried under a pile of credit card debt, you surely don’t have anything to lose. You can charge your seed to your Master Card and hope it blooms before the bill comes.

Dr. Murdock doesn’t seem to be turning down the smaller donations. Those are fine.

But if you want a big harvest, $1,000 really is the way to go. You get what you give and all that. He says, on his late-night, fake talk-showstyle infosermonmercial that you can’t buy a miracle for $1,000. Heck, you couldn’t buy a miracle for $1 million, but if you sow a $1,000 seed, you can expect a “harvest.”

Did you see what he did there? It’s the kind of clever word play you’d expect from a doctor. I’m not sure why it’s different to try to buy a harvest from God instead of a miracle. If I’m forking over $1,000 to a supernatural being for something, I’d at the very least like to have some water turned into wine. I guess I’m just a man of little faith. Still, as with any infomercial, the more times I see it, the more it makes sense. Who knows? Maybe Dr. Murdock is on to something. Unfortunately, I am low on cash, so if anyone wants to go in on a $1,000 seed with me, let me know. I promise I’ll spread the harvest around.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 71 • October 25 – November 8, 2010

31

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas

october 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; November 8, 2010

#71

john

ross Shock, Suspense, Comedy

free

t e n

after t w o Raging in

Roseville

Appetite Order Up!

Mister

Metaphor One Night Only

Jeffery

Felker W ords A l i v e

Why Lie?

I need a drink documentary

Flaming Grill CafĂŠ