Submerge Magazine: Issue 180 (February 2 - 16, 2015) by Submerge Magazine

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas

february 2 – 16, 2015

#180

xochitl coast to coast Michael Ramstead Mythic Realism

Ty’Quan Thomas

Real Life Rap

Sticky Gator Does Midtown’s

Aziz Ansari

Comes to Sleep Train Arena

Newest BBQ Joint Stand Out?

Tiaras Hi-Fi Pop from Former

Members of Ganglians/ Blasted Canyons

vvomen

From Yuba City, With Love

ALO A Certain Kind of Freedom

free

9426 Greenback ln, Orangevale Tickets Available at Dimple Records, Armadillo records , or online at theboardwalkpresents.com all shows all ages

coming soon

the von trapps

saturday feb 28 LiL aJ / Wizdom / danny barbosa

earthLess

brubaKer Zeroclient • cataclysmic assault

weDnesDAy

feb 4

T huRsDAy

feb 5

with sPecial Guest

fRiDAy

olDer suns

feb 6

London richards thr3ee • avry

sATuRDAy

feb 7

Wednesday mar 4 neW beat fund saturday mar 7 the tragic thriLLs

mar 9 faLLuJah

monday

mar 13

friday

gLamour KiLLs tour:

set it off

saturday mar 14 a sKyLit drive / the red Jumpsuit apparatus sunday mar 15 the ghost inside

mar 24 mod sun

tuesday

mar 27 have mercy

friday

tuesday mar 31 the coLor moraLe

DJ Genie Factory the GranDmothers fRiDAy

feb 13

sATuRDAy

feb 14

sunDAy

feb 15

T huRsDAy

feb 19

apr 1 michaeL schenKer group Wednesday

apr 3 & 4 TWO DAYS! dance gavin dance pLus speciaL guests

apr 5 d.r.i.

sunday

apr 10

friday 25th anniversary shoW

emeraLd city

saturday apr 18 abK / axe murder boyz

apr 25 aLesana

saturday

friday may 1 conducting from the grave saturday may 2 one eyed doLL

ParaDox Drive • evolution eDen

fRiDAy

feb 20

sATuRDAy

feb 21

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

sunDAy

feb 22

TuesDAy

feb 24

may 21 one

thursday

a tribute to metaLLica

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

180 2015

contents

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

february 2 – 16

04 06 08 09

14 cofounder/ Editor in Chief/Art Director

Contributing Writers

James Barone

Zach Ahern, Amber Amey, Joe Atkins, Robin Bacior, Andrew Bell, Corey Bloom, Bocephus Chigger, Justin Cox, Alia Cruz, Josh Fernandez, Catherine Foss, Blake Gillespie, Fabian Garcia, Lovelle Harris, Eddie Jorgensen, Niki Kangas, Nur Kausar, John Phillips, Ryan Prado, Steph Rodriguez, Andrew C. Russell, Amy Serna, Jacob Sprecher, Jenn Walker

Assistant Editor

Contributing photographers

Melissa Welliver melissa@submergemag.com cofounder/ Advertising Director

Jonathan Carabba jonathan@submergemag.com senior editor

Mandy Pearson

Submergemag.com

tiaras Xochitl alo calendar Michael Ramstead Sticky Gator

the shallow end

916.441.3803 info@submergemag.com

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

The Optimistic Pessimist

1009 22 Street, Suite 3 Sacramento, Calif. 95816

front Cover Photo of alo by Jay Blakesberg

The Stream

the grindhouse

printed on recycled paper

Submerge your senses

Submerge

David Adams, Josh Corrigan, Wesley Davis, Adam Dillion, Phill Mamula, Jenny Price, Liz Simpson, Nicholas Wray

10 12 14 18 24 26

Dive in

the loft

All content is property of Submerge and may not be reproduced without permission. Submerge is both owned and published by Submerge Media. All opinions expressed throughout Submerge are those of the author and do not necessarily mean we all share those opinions. Feel free to take a copy or two for free, but please don’t remove our papers or throw them away. Submerge welcomes letters of all kinds, whether they are full of love or hate. We want to know what is on your mind, so feel free to contact us via snail mail at 1009 22nd Street, Suite 3 Sacramento, Calif. 95816. Or you can e-mail us at info@submergemag.com. back Cover Photo of xochitl by erika Heath

dive in Love Life Melissa welliver melissa@submergemag.com Happy birthday to us! Seven whole years of making Submerge has passed, and with this issue we are officially diving into our eighth year of publishing! Where did the all time go? I’m not sure if it makes me a bad “boss,” but even after all these years I’ve never really thought of myself as, well, a “boss.” I’ve always felt like I’m just a friend in a group of creative individuals with similar interests as myself: we love print, Sacramento, music, art, food and all things culture related. When we started Submerge back in early 2008, I didn’t quite realize the extent of all the talented people and friendships that I would eventually come across. On Jan. 20, an occasional contributor, but more importantly a friend, Julie De La Torre passed away and it really hit home. She contributed to Submerge here and there. Most recently she stepped up this past October and filled in to write Bocephus Chigger’s witty column, “The Optimistic Pessimist.” She always wanted to write more, and I wanted her to also. I believe that would have happened more in 2015 if it wasn’t for unfortunate circumstances. The thing I loved most about Julie was her hilarious personality. She would always see me online around the midnight hour, knowing that if I was up late and online that I was working on Submerge. She often brightened up my nights with some hilarious conversation on Google Talk or Facebook chat, and I’d dread after an hour or two telling her I had to get back to work because we both knew I’d way rather stay up talking to her all night. She was one in a million. And with our similar personalities we both often joked about how are we not related and that she must be my long-lost younger sister. As difficult as it is coming to terms that this world lost someone as cool as Julie, I realize I’m a lucky person to have known her, and I’ll be forever grateful that it was because of Submerge that I was able to meet such an amazing person. As I think back through the years, I’ve seen several people come and go. I’m always sad to see friends leave Sacramento, at the same time it has been great seeing contributors follow their dreams, whether it be to go off to grad school in Portland, live their dream life in New York City or even go to Africa for Peace Corps. While I’m here, I’d like to wish one of our photographers, Liz Simpson, the absolute best as she is taking off this month to Korea to teach English for a year. Thanks Liz for your contributions over the years and I can’t wait to see all of the photos from your upcoming adventure. And shout out to all of our contributors that are still writing, shooting and editing for Submerge. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I absolutely love having you be a part of Submerge and knowing you all on the friend level (and if I don’t know you well yet, trust me, I look forward to it). It’s been quite the seven-year ride, having seen lives change: boyfriends/girlfriends, graduating college, completing grad school, surviving cancer, engagements and weddings. Along that line, shout out to our boy and Senior Editor James Barone, who recently got engaged to his beautiful girlfriend this past fall. Oh, and babies! We can’t forget all the babies! Shout out to the new baby mommas and daddies out there especially this past year, with the most recent being born into this world on Jan. 26. Elliot was 9 pounds, 5 ounces, born to our writer Steph Rodriguez and her boyfriend (who also contributes photos) David Adams. I can’t stress it enough, the people who have and who are continuing to contribute to Submerge over the years are some of the best people and I’m forever grateful that because of this publication they’ve crossed my path. I come to the realization that I might not be balling out of control, and occasionally I ask myself why I make a publication because after all these years I still live paycheck to paycheck, but as cheesy as it sounds, I’m rich in spirit and more importantly in friendships. That is what makes every year that goes by so great and worth every minute. Rest in peace Julie De La Torre, and welcome to this crazy little world and thing we call life, Elliot Rodriguez-Adams. Enjoy issue #180! Melissa Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

1/20/15 2:56 PM

Your Senses SEE

Aziz Ansari Is Coming to Sacramento! Feb. 7

VOTED BEST COMEDY CLUB BY THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW!

Actor and stand-up comedian Aziz Ansari has worked with some of the biggest names and funniest people in the biz! He’s spent five seasons on the popular NBC show Parks and Recreation alongside Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman and Rob Lowe. He’s appeared in various movies like Funny People with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan; I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel; and 30 Minutes or Less with Danny McBride and Nick Swardson (just to name a few). So what’s with all the famous people name-dropping, you ask? We just want to establish how bad-freaking-ass it is that a comedian as on-the-rise and as hot as Ansari is touring through our town to do stand-up! If you like to laugh (who doesn’t?), do not miss your chance to see Ansari live and in person on Feb. 7 when he’ll hit Sleep Train Arena for an 8 p.m. show. If you didn’t already score tickets through Ansari’s direct-to-consumer ticketing approach, which utilizes text messages and emails (to minimize high ticket fees, scalpers, etc.), you can still get in. Hit up Azizansari.com/tour for a link to buy tickets the more “traditional way.”

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TOMMY JOHNAGIN CORY LOYKASEK, DANIEL HUMBARGER SUNDAY 2/8

LANCE WOODS & FRIENDS TUESDAY 2/10

GOING UP ON A TUESDAY COMEDY JAM WITH MIKE E. WINFIELD AND FRIENDS WEDNESDAY 2/11

KIRY SHABAZZ PRESENTS

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

TOUCH

Get a Complimentary Waxing Service During Sleek Wax Bar’s “Sleek Week” Feb. 10–14

The newest tenant in Midtown’s hot-spot MARRS Building is kicking off their opening week graciously by offering free services! From Feb. 10 to 14, Sleek Wax Bar, a brand new upscale full service salon that offers facial and body waxing services for both men and women, will be offering complimentary waxing services during what they’ve dubbed “Sleek Week.” “I think when customers come in they’ll recognize the importance of having a highly educated staff, excellent customer service, and they will appreciate having a wax bar in their neighborhood that carries the highest quality products,” said owner Scott Sanders in a press release. Just call (916) 256-2991 or email manager Gina Cocks at gina@sleekwaxbar.com to make your Sleek Week appointment! With their modern decor and the comfortable, relaxed use of the space, (not to mention their prime location), Sleek Wax Bar will surely fit right in with the fabric of the MARRS Building and Midtown in general. “With the excitement bubbling around the Midtown Sacramento area, Sleek is positioned in a fantastic location,” said Cocks. “A lot of really fun things are happening in Sacramento, especially in Midtown. We’re just thrilled to get in early on this.” Visit Sleek at 1050 20th Street, Suite no. 170, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit Sleekwaxbar.com for more info.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

FRidAy

TASTE

DIY ChocolateDipped Strawberries for Valentine’s Day

Feb 20

Whether you’re going out on Valentine’s Day (don’t forget to make those reservations ASAP, restaurants fill up fast!) or you’re just staying in and cooking at home, be sure to wow your significant other with this easy-to-make recipe for delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries! First, you’ll need chocolate (duh), whichever kind your heart desires—milk, semi sweet or dark. Chop up said chocolate (4 to 8 ounces) and put it in a bowl, pop that bad boy into the microwave on 50 percent power for a couple minutes. Stir it around halfway through. While that’s heating up, wash your strawberries and dry them thoroughly. Take the clean, dry berries and dip them into the melted chocolate about three-quarters of the way up, then place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, wax paper, or nonstick foil. Here’s where you can get creative. Roll them in chopped nuts, perhaps? Drizzle them with some melted white chocolate? Hell, toss some sprinkles on those bitches! Either way, they then go into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is hard, then they’re ready to enjoy. Guaranteed to impress your date!

RiotmakeR

Album ReleAse show

with special guests

a Mile till Dawn, MDsO, BrODi nichOlas, heat Of DaMage a n D Bennett hannan (Of Kayasun) the Boardwalk 9426 GreenBack, oranGevale • 7 pm

get yOur ticKets tODay! call 916.342.0036 ticKets are $15 anD incluDes a cOpy Of riOtMaKer’s new recOrD

HEAR

Ty’Quan Thomas’ EP Release Party at Blue Lamp • Feb. 8 Sacramento hip-hop artist Ty’Quan Thomas fits the mold of a rap superstar. Born in 1988 in South Sacramento, Ty’Quan was raised by his mom and grandmother, and like many great rappers before him, his youth was riddled with violence, drugs, even murder. But Thomas continues to rise above the street drama and has tapped into a natural talent pool, becoming a lyrical powerhouse along the way. On his latest EP, titled De’ (featuring production from San Francisco’s Juante), Thomas is more confident than ever, his deep voice and commanding delivery pulling you in, demanding your attention. “I named the EP De’ because it was the nickname of my late cousin who was unfortunately murdered March 11, 2005,” Thomas recently told Submerge in an email. “So it’s just me paying homage to him because he’s the inspiration behind me doing music.” Thomas is celebrating the release of the EP at a show on Feb. 8 at Blue Lamp, opening for Skipper of HBK Gang. If you can’t make that show, Thomas will also be performing at Blue Lamp again on March 7 as part of The B.Y.E Takeover. He’s also got a full-length album in the works called ThugStyle that he says is going to be “real funky, very West Coast, with real life stories and tales of my life.” Stay up to date with Thomas on Twitter (@TheRealTyQuan). SubmergeMag.com

Facebook.com/riotmakermusic

instagram: @riotmaker916

reverbnation.com/riotmaker

twitter: @riotmakerband

1517 21st street sacramentO Open Daily at 4 pm

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events calendar thurs. february 5 8pm

sat. february 14 11pm

City of trees brass banD the brasstronauts

Last CaLL Lovefest w/ DJ Davie XanDer

fri. february 6 8pm

attituDe aDJustment fanG | CalluseyeD psyChosomatiC yankee brutal sat. february 7 8pm

arGentavis battleshok ssynDrom unGulate thurs. february 12 9pm

this Green City:

post-punk, Goth, new wave niGht

DJ Dire Delorean DJ Chat noir fri. february 13 8pm

some fear none snow white smile stationary

fri. february 20 9pm

CresCenDo | evolve spaCefunk | 59 Crime sat. february 21 8pm

stoneberry GluG empire of Dirt fri. february 27 8pm

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every friDay serving american style tO 5:30 7:30 pm Bill mylar’s Hippy HOur

quality cOmfOrt fOOD alOng witH fresH & HealtHy cHOices

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

The stream Yuba City Indie/ Punk/Rock Band VVomen to Release New EP Feb. 8 at Cafe Colonial

DJs Shaun Slaughter & Adam Jay Resurrect Fuck Fridays Dance Party on Second Fridays Starting Feb. 13

Ground(Ctrl) Changes Name to Wonderful Union, Throwing Free Show & Launch Party Feb. 16

Jonathan Carabba

Send regional news tips to info@submergemag.com

Join us

for

week

www.sleekwaxbar.com

complimentary services February 10-14 ServiceS for Men & WoMen

1050 20th Street, #170 Sacramento, ca 95811 gina@Sleekwaxbar.com | 916.256.2991

Includes choice of burger on regular menu and draft beer valued at $3 or less. No substitutions, additions will be charged accordingly. Not valid with other offers, details subject to change based on availability. Offer valid for dine-in in bar only. Tax & gratuity not included.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Take a little of the atmospheric and frenetic guitar work of Minus the Bear, the throaty-yet-melodic vocals of Hot Water Music, add a super tight rhythm section, and you’re somewhere in the ballpark of what Yuba City-based indie/punk/rock band VVomen is doing (pronounced like “Women” with a “W”). The group, consisting of Kyle Hansen (guitar), Allan Leri (drums), Paul Collier (bass) and Kyle Kaylor (vocals), first came together in 2012 and they have since dropped an impressive debut EP called Naked (released in late 2013). They’ve played a slew of regional shows, sharing the stage with some amazing like-minded bands like San Francisco’s Heartsounds, Chico’s The Americas, Yosemite Valley’s From Indian Lakes and many others. VVomen is now ready to release their newest EP titled Hangin’ Out Being… this Sunday, Feb. 8 at Cafe Colonial. “The new recording is a lot more cohesive and represents the band as a unit,” Hansen recently told Submerge. “The first group of songs we made on Naked were full of guitar riffs I’d accumulated during the time I’d locked myself away from my friends and decided to start college. The new recording feels a lot more natural.” Hangin’ Out Being… is four tracks, clocks in at around 17 minutes and was recorded with Stephen Hines at The Wormhole in Fairfield, then mastered at The Atomic Garden by Jack Shirley. The VVomen boys were nice enough to let Submerge hear the new EP and it’s a superb extension of the tracks on Naked, giving the group plenty of solid material to pull from for their live shows this year and hopefully well beyond. The Feb. 8 show is not-tobe-missed, though, as it includes touring bands You Blew It!, Tiny Moving Parts and Rozwell Kid along with Yuba City’s Brave Season. You’ll want to get there early, not only to make sure to catch the first couple bands, but because it’s likely to sell out at such an intimate spot like Cafe Colonial (for reference, this same You Blew It! tour is hitting such venues as Bottom of the Hill and Chain Reaction before coming to Sac!). Show kicks off at 7 p.m. and it’s $10 at the door, all ages are welcome, address is 3520 Stockton Blvd. For more information on VVomen, visit Facebook. com/abandcalledvvomen or Vvomenband. bandcamp.com.

Sacto party throwers extraordinaire Shaun Slaughter and Adam Jay, along with Requiem Events and That Thing on Friday, are all coming together to resurrect the much-missed dance night known as “Fuck Friday!” FF first started back in 2004 as a weekly event at Townhouse and over the years became an incubator for emerging music with super fun and elaborate themed parties (think “Circus” or “Prom”), and featured amazing guest DJs, DIY lighting rigs and a ballsto-the-wall crowd that wasn’t afraid to really let loose. “We have this whole ethos and idea of making the dance floor back into a fun place for dance music and not bullshit,” Slaughter recently told Submerge when he broke the news of FF’s return. Fuck Friday will now be just once a month on second Fridays and will be held at at Midtown BarFly (1119 21st Street). An appropriate date to rise from the dead is clearly Friday, Feb. 13; so partygoers, make sure to mark your calendars because as Slaughter puts it, “the bitch is back!” According to the event’s Facebook page you can expect aggressive, playful music with a fuck-you attitude; massively curated themes; left-of-center guest DJs and live performances; and of course lasers, smoke machines, strobe lights and bad decisions. FF cover is just $5 and doors open at 10 p.m. 18-and-over only. Sacramento-based “Fan Engagement” company ground(ctrl) is likely the biggest local music business that you’ve never heard of. They started seven years ago and have since seen incredible growth, going from zero to over 50 employees with offices in Sacramento, Nashville and even Tokyo! They’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the music business like Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, Backstreet Boys, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Lindsey Buckingham, just to name a few. Just last week ground(ctrl) announced that they are changing their name to Wonderful Union. “Since launching ground(ctrl) seven years ago, our company and vision have grown into something uniquely wonderful,” the company wrote on Wonderfulunion.com. “We have established ourselves as a unifying element between artists and fans, and this purpose has redefined us… We are proud of who we are and what we do, but we have always operated behind the scenes. Wonderful Union is about all of us. It’s about how we unite fans with the artists they love, and together, we are all Wonderful Union.” To celebrate the launch of this new era of their business, the good folks at WU are throwing a free show at Midtown BarFly on Monday, Feb. 16 as their official launch party. Headlining is a really great fuzz-rock/indie/pop-punk band from Oklahoma called Broncho, who is currently on tour with Billy Idol, and local support will be provided by The Croissants and So Stressed. Pretty amazing show for free.99 if you ask us! Party starts at 8 p.m., see you out there! Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The Optimistic Pessimist We were almost safe! The world seems to be spiraling out of control and ready to collapse at any moment, but we almost had ourselves a real savior! He’s tall, famous, incredibly wealthy, some might say dashing and he has a healthy fear of God. With stats like that, you’d think I was talking about Uncle Sam himself, but I’m not. No, the man that was going to save this country was none other than Willard “Mitt” Romney, and he might have been President of the United States of America if you all weren’t a bunch of stupid, mean jerks! You are not caught in a time warp. This is not 2008. Nope, not 2012 either. That’s right, the Romneybot almost ran again. He was so close to proving the theory that the third time truly is a charm by taking another crack at the presidency in 2016. It was going to be so exciting! Now he changed his mind, and I have to cancel my “Romney 2016” face tattoo appointment this week. It was really going to make my face just pop! There was a lot to be excited about, after

SubmergeMag.com

all. Romney had promised to make ending poverty the central focus of his campaign. He also planned to put his private and religious life into the forefront for the public to see, which probably would have been a hot mess. The Washington Post even went as far as saying, “Romney [was] determined to re-brand himself as authentic[…]” I don’t know about you, but to me, nothing screams, “authentic,” like a man re-branding himself every four years in the hopes of convincing enough people that he is one of them. Of course, if you ask Mitt, he hasn’t changed at all. He is the same old guy he’s always been; he just wasn’t allowed to show us exactly who that was until now. Romney claimed his advisers told him not to be himself in his previous campaigns, which begs the question, why not? If Mitt is such a normal, everyday Joe Six-Pack (albeit of nonalcoholic, non-caffeinated, unsweetened, unflavored, lukewarm tap water), why would his campaign advisers want to hide that from the public?

Say It Ain’t So Mittens! After all, for the most part, likeable people win presidencies. JFK was not the savvy politician that people remember, but people liked him (Lee Harvey Oswald and Fidel Castro excluded), so he got elected. Same goes for Ronald Reagan. The Gipper was an actor before he was a politician, so he knew how to turn on the charm for the cameras. His policies did not do much to help the country, but people sure loved that warm smile and that friendly voice. In fact, they loved it so much that today he is practically a god on the right, despite all the harm he did. Barack Obama also knew that likeability helps, which is how he beat Hillary Clinton once and Mitt, twice, for the presidency. Mitt took those lickings from two staggering defeats and claimed to have learned his lessons. This time around, he was ready to drink a beer (O’Doul’s) with your uncle, help your little sister get more followers on Twitter, and eat corndogs while singing, “Who Let the Dogs Out?” at the top of his lungs. He might have even allowed same-sex couples to hold hands in his presence if it got him

Bocephus Chigger bocephus@submergemag.com to the White House, but it’s all for naught now. Romney 2016 was going to show you that he puts his sacred garments on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us, and that it’s important that you hear how much he helps all of these poor needy Mormons out there. But what about the people who don’t subscribe to his faith? Was Mitt going to help them too? He said he was going to make poverty a central focus of his campaign, which sounds great. Unfortunately, given Romney’s history, this could have also just meant that he planned to call for the self-deportation of the American poor. Even if he truly meant to “end poverty,” what would Mitt’s idea of helping the poor even look like? What does a man with a lakefront house, a beachfront house with a car elevator, a sprawling estate in Utah and an 8,700-square foot ski chalet know about being poor? Probably about as much as he knows about running for president, which appears to be jack shit. Sorry we won’t get to see the train wreck of a campaign you were about to run, Mitt! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2020!

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

A Crowning Moment

Ex-Ganglians member Kyle Hoover on the first album from his new group, Tiaras Words Andrew C. Russell photo Dillon Donovan

ll eras are defined by the fact that, eventually, they will end. There can be no Summer of Love Without a Winter of Discontent; no Woodstock without an Altamont; no old guard without a new wave; no lo-fi renaissance without a hi-fi takeover. Tiaras, a San Francisco rock outfit forged from the remnants of other groups (Blasted Canyons, Fine Steps, Sacramento’s own Ganglians), is starting the year by releasing a full-length illustration of this principle. The selftitled debut album, out Jan. 14, is a clear step away from the modes and methods characterizing the earlier work of its musicians. Where Ganglians once stood for a wild, heat-shimmery psych pop indebted to bands of the ‘60s, Tiaras glides—not leaps—further into music history (say, about two decades), emerging into a clearer, moodier intersection of mid-‘80s jangle-pop and new wave. Whatever the eras and styles that reverberate in Tiaras’ music, a few things are clear: their melodies are strong, their production is crisp and Tiaras may be one of the first great rock albums of 2015. To get a deeper insight into the new record and its prehistory, we dialed up guitarist Kyle Hoover, who was spending his weekend hanging out in the illustrious Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. When considering the changes his band has been through, I wondered beforehand: how much of a hold does the past still have on that place? Does the feverish, acid-drenched zeitgeist of yesteryear still contain a slight hold on the City by the Bay? As numerous other bands from the local scene begin to decamp for other horizons, we can tell a lot about the current landscape from the musicians who have opted to stay. The music of Tiaras, for one, seems well suited to its locale. While traversing the bittersweet highs and lows of standout track “In the Room,” you can imagine the swift changes of elevation and climate one comes across while traveling through the city: the top of a tower, the bottom of a hill; burning sunshine and bonechilling fog crowding into a single moment.

You’ve mentioned before that you’ve been living in the Excelsior area of San Francisco, how it’s fertile creative ground, but a lot of the old guard are moving south for greener pastures. What’s your point of view on these changes? I’d say the curtains have been drawn back a little bit. I was joking around with my bandmates about the “endless summer of lo-fi ‘09.” It was this big thing—lo-fi garage, it was huge, it was everywhere. I mean, we were part of that too back in the day, but, I mean, me personally, I got over backing that stuff pretty quickly, and that’s part of the reason for the change. There’s definitely a message that we wanted to send going forward with Tiaras, like, “Alright, we live in San Francisco. We used to be kind of a garage band. Now let’s do something different.” A little more solemn, little more pop-oriented. We just wanted to do something different, and lo and behold, a year later, after the record finally comes out, there’s a bunch of other bands who are sort of shying away from that [lo-fi] scene as well. A lot of my friends moved away—that’s just how it is. It’s super hard to live in the city. But it’s not the end of the world, there’s still cool stuff. I think if anything, it’s for the better that the garage thing has kind of faded a bit from the spotlight in San Francisco. More room to breed different genres.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The genre shift—going to the hi-fi sound, concentrating on the pop melodies—did you have anything to model yourselves on? With this record, we definitely wanted to make it sound as good as possible. I’m a fan of using the best of both worlds—digital recording is super convenient and makes for a much less stressful recording environment; however, going analog is beneficial for different sounds. You can have the best of both worlds and get really experimental. With Ganglians, we were always trying to be hi-fi; it just always sounded lo-fi because we didn’t know what the fuck we were doing. But the idea was always to try and sound as good as possible. Genre-wise, the shifts…we just started listening to different stuff. I knew Ryan [frontman for Ganglians, Tiaras] in ‘08, and we were like, “Dude! Pet Sounds!” And the influence of that album is super evident in Ganglians. For the new record, Ryan and I were getting into a lot of weird, obscure ‘80s music, along with the rest of the world, apparently—but I guess that’s just how it goes. We just wanted to disassociate ourselves from our previous sound, which is hard because I still sound like me, and Ryan still sounds like himself. Now we have three other awesome dudes with their own take on things, and I think it works. People aren’t saying we sound like the Beach Boys anymore, so that’s fine. When you say you all started listening to different stuff, was there anything in particular that you got excited about? Ryan and I got really into Chrome, which was like this super weird, kind of avant-garde ‘80s rock thing. I don’t even know how to describe it. We’d heard about them from back in the day, but we started listening to them all the time. I personally started listening to a lot of Echo and the Bunnymen…just a lot of weird ‘80s stuff that I knew was good but that I’d never really taken the time to listen to. When the Cleaners from Venus record was reissued a few years ago, that was being played around our house 24/7. That was definitely a record I was super stoked about.

SubmergeMag.com

Was there a good deal of downtime between the dissolution of Ganglians and the recording for Tiaras? Oh yeah, definitely. I think we stopped playing together after our last SXSW, which must have been the spring of 2011. Ryan moved to San Francisco, our drummer moved to Brooklyn, our bassist moved to Oakland and I was stuck in Elk Grove. I was living at my dad’s house for a good eight months until I finally saved up enough money to move in with Ryan in SF. Did a lot of the ideas for the new group and album come out of that eight-month period? That would be nice, but definitely not. That was more of like a—I don’t know, we were so worn out. I think at that point, we’d been on the road almost constantly for like a year and a half. We were starting to argue a lot, and it was kinda gnarly. So I was mostly just being miserable in Elk Grove, commuting to Davis with Alex’s [Ganglians drummer] mom every morning. That’s basically what I did. If anything was going on idea-wise during that period of time, it was with Ryan and Antonio in San Francisco while they were jamming together.

2708 J Street Sacramento 916.441.4693 HarlowS.com PinBACk

MonDAY

2 /09 TUESDAY

2 /03

Playing TBD this past October was sort of a miniSacramento homecoming for you guys. How was the experience? It was fun! It kind of felt like a Sacramento Burning Man or something. Everyone was walking around with scarves on their face and dust was everywhere. I definitely partied too hard, because I stayed there for the whole weekend. I think we were all hungover for like a week after that. Finally, how do you feel about Tiaras as a group at this point? When Tiaras first started, I had known Ryan pretty well from being in Ganglians. I’d known Antonio pretty darn well—I think I’ve known that guy since he was like 16—and I had just met Adam and our bassist Ryan Hansen, so I was getting to know them, and we were figuring out how to play together and what our sound should be like. Needless to say, we’re still fucking with our tone settings and our amps to figure out what See Tiaras live at Harlow's sounds we have and in Sacramento on Feb. 10. Tiaras will be playing stuff like that. But I in support of The Dodos. feel like the songs are Tickets are $15 and can getting better, and be purchased through we’re getting better at Harlows.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. writing them.

2 /04

MonoPhoniCS

hADEn CARPEnTER

ThURSDAY

7PM $18adv

wEDnESDAY

It seems collectively like you have decades of band experience—you’ve been in a lot of bands, you kind of know the drill. At this point, is it easier for you to tell when the chemistry is right, or when you’re ready to call it a day? Yeah, I’d say so. This is probably only my third band, but this time, the songs came together easier. Ganglians was like a shitload of trial and error. That was kind of a turning period, because we were all new to what we were doing. With Tiaras, it was super easy to make things work. I’d say there was a year’s worth of time where we were learning to play with each other. And it wasn’t super natural at first, but now we all understand what we’re trying to do.

Big SMo

DAviD hUnTSBERgER

2 /12

FRiDAY

9PM $25

7PM $18adv

iDEATEAM

An EvEning wiTh

2 /13

8PM $15adv

The MoTeT

noThing

7PM $12adv

TonY MolinA | nMBRSTTn

ThURSDAY

9PM $15

ParTicle

FRiDAY

8:30PM $15

SATURDAY

5:30PM $15adv all ages

STeelin’ Dan

SATURDAY

10PM $8adv

DEnvER J BAnD BlAqUEliSTED

TUESDAY

7PM $15

2 /05

2 /06 2 /07 2 /07 2 /10 wEDnESDAY

2 /11

ThE CoMPlETE U2 EXPERiEnCE Zoo ThiS STATion: ChARMing BAnD

The DoDoS

SPRingTiME CARnivoRE | TiARAS

9PM $25adv

lUCiAno

ADMiRAl TiBET | XSAMPlE

ThURSDAY

6PM $20 all ages

WilliaM FiTzSiMMonS

SATURDAY

5:30PM $17.50 all ages

MUMBo gUMBo

SATURDAY

9:30PM $12

MiDnighT PlayerS

2 /12 2/14

2 /14

*all

times are d o or times*

COMING SOON 02/17 wild Child 02/19 Alo 2/20-21 Tainted love 02/22 Crystal Bowersox 02/23 guttermouth 02/24 Tory lanez 02/27 Purple ones 02/28 nicholas David 02/28 Petty Theft (late) 03/01 Mali Music 03/02 David Cook

03/05 03/06 03/07 03/10 03/11 03/14 03/16 03/19 03/20

The outlaws Zepparella Foreverland hollow wood DJ Premier and Royce Da’ 5’9 Cheryl wheeler Trash Talk/Ratking Moon hooch Pete Rock / Slum village

03/21 03/25 03/26 03/27 03/27 03/29 04/02 04/03 04/19 04/21

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Felipe Esparza Everyone orchestra Tyrone wells Mustache harbor Ewan Dobson (late) Metalachi Johnny A wonderbread 5 Agent orange The Dead Milkmen

Never a

Dull Moment Xochitl Charms Fans from the East Coast to the West

Words Catherine Foss photo Erika Heath

fter finishing the night’s performance, 21-year-old singer/songwriter Xochitl (pronounced “so-chee”) Hermosillo and the other performers had nowhere to stay. It was a cold night in Rhode Island, and the native California girl was in the midst of her first real winter. Then, a stranger from the audience asked: would they like to stay in her basement for the night? The group agreed that it was an awful idea—so awful, in fact, that they couldn’t turn it down. They woke up to fresh crepes with strawberries. The stranger, whose name was Michelle, turned out to be a kindergarten teacher who, like so many of the strangers Xochitl met during her travels, was happy to help. And it’s easy to see why: her voice is sweet and earnest, angelic but strong, perfectly suited to her catchy riffs and emotion-driven lyrics. With just an acoustic guitar and a microphone, she can easily captivate an audience. Xochitl will be the first to admit, she never plans. So when a friend floated a spontaneous idea of traveling around the East Coast, couch surfing and playing music, the answer was, “Why not?” Xochitl, who had spent her entire life in Sacramento, ended up making the trip solo. She connected with an aunt in New Hampshire who had a spare room, and the rest of the adventure unfolded day by day. Xochitl left for the East Coast in fall 2013 with a oneway ticket. “I was silly. I went from October to March. The weather was negative 18 degrees. I’d never even really seen or been in the snow,” she laughs. “I had to go shopping, and learn to wear the tights under the jeans and to wear three pairs of socks.” Dropping everything to live with an aunt on the other side of the country, in the middle of an East Coast winter, hoping to fund her trip by CD sales and the sheer generosity of other humans…not every 20-something would have the guts to leave with so little planned out. But once Xochitl decided that music was going to be her career, she had few reservations about taking risks to make her passions happen. She had started her career as a musician when she was about 19, after realizing that college wasn’t the right path—music was. “This is my passion. Why am I waiting anymore?” she said. She found herself almost completely alone on the East Coast, where she learned to drive in the snow for the first time in her aunt’s tiny Honda Civic, bouncing around to different venues and playing open mics whenever she could— New York, Rhode Island and her favorite spot, Boston. She had a little money saved up from her last job, but says her trip was funded almost entirely by CD sales and the generosity of strangers. “People were just so nice and so supportive.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

It was unbelievable. I could cry just thinking about it,” she says, smiling. “People would say, here’s a $20 bill, we really want to support you and you’re really talented. I hope this fills your gas tank.” The hard work paid off, and soon, Xochitl wasn’t so alone. “There was this wonderful creative energy,” she says, remembering the people she met. Nights were spent performing, meeting fans and fellow musicians and “jamming in kitchens until 5 a.m.” Days were just as busy, always looking for that next show, that next opportunity. “Everyone in show business knows that emails in the afternoon is where it happens,” she explains. In time, she went from open mics to playing fully booked shows. “Never a dull moment,” Xochitl says. She remembers the first month being really amazing, when everything was new and different, and then, “you lose your peak and kind of get homesick.” Around Christmas, the family back home begged and pleaded (“it’s OK, you can just come home”), but she fought the homesickness and plowed through. “I fell in love with it,” she says with a wistful sigh. Xochitl’s last night on the East Coast was the inspiration for the song “Bring Me to You,” which she wrote while sitting on her cousin’s bed, staring out the window. “I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life,” she says, remembering the sight of the sunrise on fresh snow and the very surreal, bittersweet experience of knowing she was about to leave the East Coast for good. The guitar part was actually written back in that basement where she stayed in Rhode Island. Returning home was a little difficult, mostly because Xochitl was worried that she would get too comfortable and slow down. Because if there’s one thing she hates, it’s being bored. She’s kept herself busy, using Sacramento as a home base and making trips out to play shows along the West Coast—Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, San Diego and points in Oregon. Xochitl thinks eventually she’ll move to San Diego, where she’ll never have to shovel snow again, explaining that deep down she is “a big beach Cali girl.” Another new development has been working with a full band— friends and fellow Sacramento musicians Justin Carson and Casey Groat, who also produced her upcoming EP. Xochitl loves the new creative energy that comes from working with a full band and is curious to see what sound will come out of their trio. “It might get a little more jazzy, a little more funky,” she says, looking excited. So, how about that full-length album? Xochitl says that she’s usually “too antsy” and when she writes music, she wants to release it as soon as it is done. At the moment she can’t imagine releasing 10 tracks at once and then not sharing anything for the next two years. Similarly, she doesn’t revise anything she writes. “I’m not a polished singer/songwriter. I just sing and write exactly what I’m thinking and exactly what I’m feeling,” she says. “I want it to stay genuine.” Revising means she’s overthinking the song, and will make it less pure. Given her distaste for perfection, it shouldn’t be surprising that she cringes when asked if she has any interest in producing. “I hate recording!” she says. “Too perfectionist. I get antsy, like, I want to get out of this box! I need more lenient and open space.” For now, she’s 100 percent focused on the release party for her new EP, Lion Heart, coming up on Feb. 28 at the Shine Cafe. “I’ll be running around like a crazy lady until then,” she laughs. She’s also playing 20 shows in the Sacramento area over the next couple months beforehand—a testament to her love of being busy. It’s an EP release party! Xochitl and Sacramento artist Andrew Once the current songs have Castro will both release their been released, it will be back respective EPs on Saturday, Feb. 28 to traveling and writing, being at Shine Cafe. This all-ages show inspired and exploring new will also include Meghan Bone and sounds. “I’ll have a whole new Ruby Jaye Fradkin. Doors at 7:30, clean slate and start fresh.” $5. For more info, visit facebook.

“ I’m not a polished singer/ songwriter. I just sing and write exactly what I’m thinking and exactly what I’m feeling. I want it to stay genuine.” – Xochitl

1400 ALHAMBRA SAcRAMento BLUeLAMPSAcRAMento.coM 916-455-3400 thursDAY

feb. 5 • 9pm

w e D n e s D A Y feb. 11 • 9pm retreAt: Art, music & non-profits

the gAtlin

Young liifez, chAritte, lAce leno friDAY

feb. 6 • 6pm

winter wipeout!

the tiki lounge lizArDs, the funicellos,

the retronAuts, the lAvA pups sAturDAY

feb. 7 • 9pm

birthDAY pArtY for christine

fAtso & the storYtellers sunDAY

tY’QuAn thomAs, DrAztic music

heArt & solstice funDrAiser

coming soon

feb 20 cage, sadistik, task1ne, sparks across darkness, dj halo

feb 21 the hormones

(female ramones tribute)

mother of a girl (Violent femmes tribute)

feb. 12 • 8pm

sAturDAY

feb. 14 • 9pm

Dru Down

rADio rADio ‘80s DAnce night! w/ Dj’s roger cArpio,

brYAn hAwk & DAviD X tuesDAY

feb. 8 • 9pm

feb. 10 • 8pm

thursDAY

live music: erAsure-esQue (sf)

skipper of hbk gAng tuesDAY

Art: simon tAfoYA, mike roDriguez, nick tAYlor, rickY guererro music: commissioner gorDon, white ponY, Dj nocturnAl, get.live & sksY, pumAtron

feb. 17 • 8pm

cAncer slug

since we were kiDs, the moAns, the strAnge pArtY, the left hAnD thursDAY

feb. 19 • 8pm

enAbler

cAll of the voiD, XtomhAnX, A citY Dissolving feb 22 husalah of the mob figaz

feb 24 feb 25 mar 07 national lines, dj ace, ty’quan thomas, figs Vision, cherry red, drego, jericho forebear, b-willis, hennessey rose, shila, the end of summer and more saucy and more

everY monDAY 8-10pm • no cover

everY friDAY 10pm-2Am • $3 cover

open mic / spoken worD

Dj wokstAr & guests

Open 11am–1am Every Day

1050 20th Street, Sacramento, CA blockbutcherbar.com

com/xochitlofficial.

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

West Coast Love ALO’s guitarist speaks up about Tour D’Amour and all things music Words Jenn Walker

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

hen the guitarist of California-based jam band Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) answers the phone, he is in the middle of teaching his 5-year-old daughter how to ride a bike in Bernal Heights, his neighborhood in San Francisco. “I’m trying to teach her that she has to be OK with falls,” Dan Lebowitz explains. “It’s sort of like music.” If there is any band that knows about perseverance, ALO must be one of them. Three of four members have been playing music together for more than 20 years, since junior high. Six minutes into the phone conversation with Lebowitz, there is some commotion. A small voice lets out a yell. “Can I call you back?” he asks apologetically.

Someone might not be OK with falls just yet. He calls back about 20 minutes later, and the conversation quickly picks up where it left off. Lebowitz just got home the day before from playing the Jam Cruise Festival in Florida with ALO’s bassist Steve Adams and drummer Dave Brogan in their side project Brokedown in Bakersfield. Soon, the three, along with ALO keyboardist/vocalist Zach Gill, will be on the road again for Tour D’Amour, ALO’s annual trek along the West Coast, which is in its ninth running year. What started out as a tour that just happened to fall on Valentine’s Day has since evolved into a tradition, and now the band donates their proceeds to school music programs. This year’s proceeds

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

will go to the San Francisco Creative Arts Charter School. In the years since the band rebranded themselves as ALO, they have been just as likely to tour internationally as they have been to get caught playing a show at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. In recent years, they’ve played the likes of Bonnaroo and SXSW. When they played the latter in 2012, Rolling Stone deemed them a “SXSW 2012 Can’t-Miss Act.” Last summer, they toured with Jack Johnson, a close friend of the band (Gill has been best friends with Johnson since their college days at UC Santa Barbara). ALO even has a following in Japan. But touring the West Coast is a whole different experience, Lebowitz says. “Special things happen on the West Coast,” he continues. “We feel at home. We feel a certain freedom with these crowds.” Tour D’ Amour will kick off at the Troubadour in West Hollywood and end with three separate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Joined by folk bands Fruition and T-Sisters along the way, they will also make a stop at Harlow’s in Midtown and at Main Stage Theater in Grass Valley. To date, the band is in seven albums deep. The last four were pressed by Brushfire Records, Johnson’s label. Regardless of whether you’re into jam bands or not, take your pick of any ALO album; it will squash even the subtlest onsets of the mopes. Exploring different sounds together, whether it be rock n’ roll, pop, funk or different instruments, ALO’s instrumentation and songwriting remains refreshingly upbeat, soulful and smooth. For instance, Lebowitz introduced the pedal steel guitar on the band’s 2010 release Man of the World. A musician who assures that if he could no longer be in a band, he would make guitars, Lebowitz was a luthier’s apprentice after graduating from UC San Diego. It’s an instrument that he is especially fond of. “You know how they have those pictures of heaven of angels with harps?” he asks. “In my heaven, they play the pedal steel.” Another voice chimes in on the other end of the line. “They play lollipops!” his daughter adds. SubmergeMag.com

Now, ALO’s eighth album, which will also be released on Brushfire, is currently in the works. The band already has a studio booked for next month to start recording. “This is a very exciting time for us,” Lebowitz says. “The album will be a snapshot of where we are right now.” Of course, they intend to introduce some of their newest songs to the stage during Tour D’Amour. Rewind more than 25 years ago, and Lebowitz, Adams and Gill were performing together on stage for the first time. That’s when they signed up to play what they thought was their middle school’s talent show in the cafeteria.

since. By high school, they were covering Pearl Jam, Radiohead and Steve Miller Band. It wasn’t long before they were going by the band name Django and writing and performing their own songs. In 1996, Brogan joined the group. That summer, the band members, being college kids without a need for much money, took off for a road trip to Georgia. One thing led to another, and the next thing they knew, they were jamming in the company of the James Brown Band. “We got to know James Brown a bit,” Lebowitz says casually. “It was really cool.” By 1998, they were playing music as the newly named ALO.

drink specials

e v e ry t u e s d ay • 9 p m oPen Mic

s u n d ay & m o n d ay

e v e r y W e d n e s d ay • 7 p m ross haMMonD on guitar

haPPy hour all night! buy any Draft beer & aDD a well shot for $2, fireball $3, JaMeson $4

kupros free music series

tuesday

assorteD $2 Drink sPecials

fri feb 6 • 9pm

Musical charis

wednesday

fri feb 13 • 9pm

1/2 off all 22 oz craft beer boMers

sea legs

s at f e b 1 4 • 9 p m

thursday

sacraMento Playboys

$6 coors & JaMeson coMbo

fri feb 20 • 9pm

“ Special

things happen on the West Coast. We feel at home. We feel a certain freedom with these crowds. ” – Dan Lebowitz Without a doubt, the band members credit public schools for their musical education, which is what inspired the band to make Tour D’Amour a benefit for music education. “That stuff is getting cut left and right,” Lebowitz points out. Since their own early beginnings, when it comes to playing live shows, ALO’s spirit hasn’t changed, he says. What does change from show to show, he adds, is their performance. Sometimes they improvise. Songs may end up longer than the recorded versions when they play live. They don’t hesitate to take their time when it feels right to do so. “We do whatever feels right at the moment,” Lebowitz says. “When we’re feeling inspired, we dig deeper into it. Nothing’s off limits.” Especially when it comes to touring the West Coast.

See ALO live in Sacramento at Harlow’s on Feb. 19. They will also be performing at Main Stage Theater in Grass Valley the following night on Feb. 20. Don't forget, proceeds from ALO’s Tour D’Amour will help keep music in schools! Get your tickets at Harlows.com or at Thecenterforthearts.org. Doors open for both shows at 7 p.m.

$6 Myster craft cocktail

casey liPka trio

saturday

late night haPPy hour froM 8PM to close

fri feb 27 • 9pm

trio lascruces

beer week kick off on fri feb 27

kuPros + Drake’s 2nD annual beer week collaboration brunch every

“We wanted to play the tunes everyone was listening to,” Lebowitz recalls. “We wanted to play the parties.” Unbeknownst to them, the school alternated between putting on a talent show and a musical each year, and that year they were putting on a musical. Not wanting to disappoint these boys who showed up prepared with instruments and a set list, whoever was running the show agreed that the boys could play their set during the intermission if, in exchange, they performed as extras in the musical. It was The Saga of Dead Dog Gulch, an obscure Western operetta written just for schools. “It worked out great!” Lebowitz remembers. By the time intermission rolled around, they had already been onstage an hour, and any onstage anxiety they had had vanished. They pulled their costumes halfway down in an effort to look cool and played their set, including “Walk Don’t Run” by the Ventures, “Centerfold” by J. Geils Band, and “Get Off of My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones. Somewhere, there is VHS footage of the whole thing. The friends have been playing music together ever

friday

Dylan cal trio

s at f e b 2 1 • 9 p m

saturday & sunday 10am - 2pm

$12 bottoMless MiMosas $5 blooDy Marys

1217 21st street MiDtown sacraMento 916.440.0401 kuproscrafthouse.com @kuprossacto

Last Cut wasn’t so super? Get it fixed at anthony’s barbershop 2408 21st st • Sac • sacramentobarbershop.com (916) 457-1120 • Tues-Fri 9am-6pm • saT 10am-4pm

Y N I Pl

ON taP

NOW

Plus 35 O t h e r interesting Beers on taP

& Live Tuesday saTurday Music NighTs! 1010 White Rock Road El DoraDo Hills (916) 941-3606 • 36handles.com

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

f R i dAy

february 13

f R i dAy

february 20

M O N dAy

March 9

T u E S dAy

March 10

1417 R STREET SACRAMENTO

souLjah snoop LoC

february 14

SAT u R dAy

february 21

SAT u R dAy

february 7 sages

Los Rakas • TeL CaiRo

f R i dAy

January 9

S u N dAy

february 8

T u E S dAy

february 17

february 12

february 27

w E d N E S dAy

March 11

saLyThia

w E d N E S dAy

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f R i dAy

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february 19

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

SAT u R dAy

february 28

S u N dAy

March 1

T h u R S dAy

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March 12

March 15

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

w E d N E S dAy

SAT u R dAy

March 18

March 21

SAT u R dAy

March 28

T h u R S dAy

M O N dAy

April 13

April 2

f R i dAy

April 17

Life in 24 fRames • sTand ouT sTaTe

T u E S dAy

April 14

S u N dAy

April 19

i The mighTy

S u N dAy

March 22

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April 9 w E d N E S dAy

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SubmergeMag.com

S u N dAy

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April 21

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April 25

April 11 T h u R S dAy

f R i dAy

April 15

April 12

April 16

All Shows All Ages

Tickets Available @ dimple Records, Armadillo Online: AceOfSpadesSac.com By Phone: 1.877.GNd.CTRL OR 916.443.9202

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

2.06 Friday

Back 9 Bar & Grill Heat Of Damage, Control, Pilgrim, 8 p.m.

music, comedy & misc. Calendar

feb. 2 – 16 submergemag.com/calendar

2.02 Monday

The Blue Lamp Acoustic/Spoken Open Mic, 8 p.m. The Boxing Donkey Open Mic Variety Night, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Open Mic Night hosted by Musical Charis, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Rock On! Live Band Karaoke, 8 p.m. Press Club Awaiting the Apocalypse (10 Year Anniversary), Catharsus, Removal of a Tenth, 8 p.m. Shine Open Jazz Jam hosted by Jason Galbraith, 8 p.m. Torch Club The J’s, 5:30 p.m.; Lew Fratis, 8 p.m.

2.04 Wednesday

Ace of Spades PARTYNEXTDOOR, 7 p.m.

UC Davis: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Billy Childs Quartet, 8 p.m.

2.05 thursday

The Boardwalk Otep, Terror Universal, Thira, Zeroclient, Cataclysmic Assault, 6:30 p.m.

Fox & Goose Eli & the Sound Cult, Jay Shaner, 9 p.m.

Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 10 p.m.

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

District 30 Mark Sixma, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m.

Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar El Conductor (DJ Set), 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Marty Cohen and the Sidekicks, 8 p.m.

LowBrau Motown on Monday’s w/ DJ Epik, 9 p.m.

Fox & Goose Record Club British Pop w/ DJ Roger Carpio, 8 p.m.

Harlow’s Particle, 9 p.m.

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

Harlow’s Nothing, Tony Molina, 7 p.m.

Press Club Urban Pioneers, The Western Tates, HonkyDonky & Heartbreaker, 8 p.m.

2.03 Tuesday

The Blue Lamp Sparks Across Darkness, Stevie Nader, Boney-Jay, Vinnie Guidera, Plots, 8 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Dive Bar Patrick Walsh, 9 p.m. Kupros Craft House Open Mic, 9 p.m. Main Stage Theater (Grass Valley) Royal Southern Brotherhood, 8 p.m. Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Open Mic Night, 9 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m. Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Open Mic, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub The Heartbreak Time Machine, Hans Eberbach, 8 p.m. Press Club Andra Taylor & Nate Dodge, e.pigeon, Jordan Trucano, 8 p.m. Sacramento State: University Union Redwood Room Nooner w/ The Stand Out State, 12 p.m. Shine Midtown Out Loud Open Mic, 8 p.m. Sleep Train Arena Eric Church, Halestorm, 6 p.m. Torch Club Acoustic Open Mic, 5:30 p.m.; Brian Rogers, 9 p.m.

Capitol Garage Fyah Fridays w/ DJ Jaytwo, 10 p.m.

El Dorado Saloon Island of Black and White, 9 p.m.

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

On The Y Hemlock, White Knuckle Riot, Slaves of Manhattan, 8 p.m.

The Boardwalk Earthless, Brubaker, 8 p.m.

The Blue Lamp The Gatlin, Young Liifez, Charitte, Lace Leno, 8 p.m.

The Boardwalk The Von Trapps, 7 p.m.

Goldfield Open Mic Night hosted by James Cavern, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp The Tiki Lounge Lizards, Funicello’s, The Retronauts, The Lava Pups, 6:30 p.m.

Crest Theatre The Wailin’ Jennys, 7 p.m.

Bar 101 Open Mic, 7:30 p.m.

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

Berryessa Brewing Co . Hollow Point Stumblers, 5 p.m.

Bar 101 Karaoke, 7:30 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Bar 101 Bob Marley Night w/ Simple Creation, 9:30 p.m.

The Hideaway Bar & Grill Trash Rock Thursdays, 9 p.m. Level Up Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m. Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Eddie Edul, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m. Goldfield James Otto, McKenna Faith, 9 p.m. Harlow’s Zoo Station (U2 Tribute), This Charming Band, 8:30 p.m. Kupros Craft House Musical Charis, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Billy Shaddox, Dave Mulligan, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub WonderBread 5, 10 p.m. Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Fresh, 9:30 p.m. Sammy’s Island Bar and Grill Tone Monkeys, 9:30 p.m. Shady Lady Crescent Katz, 9 p.m.

Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Shine Merdog, Cleopatra Degher, Joshua McCrea, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub West Bound 50, 10 p.m.

The Stag Cherry Pitt, Removed, Atom Age, Oh My, 8 p.m.

Shady Lady Ashley Raines & the New West Revue, 9 p.m.

Starlite Lounge Attitude Adjustment, Fang, Psychosomatic, Yankee Brutal, Calluseyed, 8 p.m.

Starlite Lounge City of Trees Brass Band, The Brasstronauts, 8 p.m. The Stoney Inn Jackson Michelson, Tiffany Lorraine, 9 p.m. Torch Club Mind X Quartet, 5 p.m.; Sactown Playboys, 9 p.m. UC Davis: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Billy Childs Quartet, 8 p.m.

Tommy T’s Madison Hudson Band, 9 p.m. Thunder Valley Casino Resort WAR, 8 p.m. Torch Club Pailer & Fratis, 5:30 p.m.; Joy & Madness, 9 p.m. UC Davis: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Billy Childs Quartet, 8 p.m.

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Blues at the Crossroads: Irma Thomas, Lee Fields, Eric Krasno, Alecia Chakour and The Dynamites, 8 p.m.

continued on page 20

2.05 2.06

City of Trees Brass Band The Brasstronauts Starlite Lounge 8 p.m.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Eli & the Sound Cult Jay Shaner Fox & Goose 9 p.m. Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

AUDIO EXPRESS! Lowest Installed Price In Town! Every Time!

WHEN YOU INVEST IT IN A MEDIA UPGRADE! Bring us proof of the amount of your tax refund; then spend that amount on new product or installation and we’ll add a 10% store credit for more product or services. One 10% credit per person, vehicle or transaction. All product must be installed in the same vehicle at the same time. Excludes clearance items, IRS coverage and other intangibles. Complete details at your nearest store. Offer good through April 30, 2015.

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Unless otherwise limited, prices are good through Tuesday following publication date. $1 INSTALLATION IS PER COMPONENT, for CD players and alarms priced over $9999, purchased from Audio Express installed in factory-ready locations. PPP indicates product installed at half off our posted rates. Custom work at added cost. Kits, antennas and cables additional. Added charges for shop supplies and environmental disposal where mandated. Illustrations similar. Video pictures may be simulated. Not responsible for typographic errors. M.S.R.P. refers to published suggested retail price. Price match applies to new, non-promotional items from authorized sellers; excludes “shopping cart” or other hidden specials. © 2015, Audio Express.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

2.07 Saturday

Ace of Spades Rae Sremmurd, 7 p.m. Back 9 Bar & Grill Hucklebucks, 8 p.m. Bar 101 Foresocks (Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute), 9:30 p.m. Beatnik Books (Roseville) Amy Obenski, 7 p.m. The Blue Lamp Fatso, The Storyteller, 9 p.m. The Boardwalk London Richards, Thr3ee, Avry, 6:30 p.m. Capitol Garage Feel Good Saturday’s w/ DJ Epik, 10 p.m. El Dorado Saloon Branded, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Musical Charis, Orange Scene, 9 p.m. Goldfield Jackson Michelson, 9 p.m. Harlow’s Steelin’ Dan, 5:30 p.m.; Denver J Band, Blaquelisted, The Three Way, 10 p.m. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Unauthorized Rolling Stones, 7:30 p.m. KBAR Z Rokk, 9 p.m. Level Up Lounge Guest DJs, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Eddie Edul, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Lipstick! Weekender w/ Shaun Slaughter, Roger Carpio, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sammy’s Island Bar and Grill Strange Brew, 9:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Debbie Davis, 3 p.m.

Shady Lady Zorelli, 9 p.m.

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

Shine Whiskey & Stitches, Lucky Laskowski & the Liars Choir, 8 p.m. Starlite Lounge Argentavis, Battleshok, Ssyndrom, Ungulate, 8 p.m. Tommy T’s Country DJ & Dancing, 9 p.m. Torch Club The Stuff, 5:30 p.m.; The Nibblers, 9 p.m. UC Davis: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Billy Childs Quartet, 8 p.m. Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Grass Valley) An Intimate Solo/ Acoustic Performance by Citizen Cope, 8 p.m.

2.08 sunday

2.09 Monday

The Blue Lamp Acoustic/Spoken Open Mic, 8 p.m.

Dive Bar In the No, 9 p.m. Harlow's The Dodos, Tiaras, Springtime Carnivore, 7 p.m. Kupros Craft House Open Mic, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Open Mic Night, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Shine Open Jazz Jam hosted by Jason Galbraith, 8 p.m.

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

Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Selfdecay, Zen Arcadia, Shoi, Decade Of Statues, 8 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Skipper (of HBK Gang), Ty’Quan Thomas (EP Release), 8 p.m.

Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m.

Ace of Spades Logic, DJ Rhetorik, Michael Christams, 6:30 p.m.

Capitol Garage Open Mic Night hosted by Musical Charis, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Pinback, 7 p.m.

Cafe Colonial You Blew It!, Tiny Moving Parts, Rozwell Kid, VVomen (Record Release), Brave Season, 7 p.m.

Tuesday

Powerhouse Pub Rock On! Live Band Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Bar 101 Dylan Crawford, 2 p.m.

Broderick Roadhouse Karaoke w/ DJ Jazcat, 9 p.m.

2.10

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

Goldfield Open Mic Night hosted by James Cavern, 9 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Midnight Players, 10 p.m.

Shady Lady Emily Kollars, 9 p.m. Torch Club Benefit for John Malcolm, 3 p.m.; Front the Band, 8 p.m.

Ace of Spades Hell Yeah, Devour the Day, Like A Storm, 6:30 p.m.

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

Red Hawk Casino Fresh, 10 p.m.

Red Hawk Casino Buck Ford, 1 p.m.

LowBrau Motown on Monday’s w/ DJ Epik, 9 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond, 7:30 p.m.

Torch Club Bill Mylar, 5:30 p.m.; Sean Lehe, 9 p.m.

2.11 wednesday

Ace of Spades Hozier, 7 p.m. (Sold Out) Bar 101 Open Mic, 7:30 p.m.

Press Club Twerk Down For What?! w/ DJ Lady Char, DJ Minxd, DJ Miss Wooty, DJ Kaprihsun, 9 p.m.

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

Shine Classical Revolution, 8 p.m.

Dive Bar Brian Rogers, 9 p.m.

Dive Bar Island of Black & White, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 8:30 p.m.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Record Club British Pop w/ DJ Roger Carpio, 8 p.m. Harlow’s Luciano, Admiral Tibet, Xsample, 9 p.m.

Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Mix DJ Eddie Edul, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m.

Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, DJ Peeti V, 9 p.m.

Naked Lounge Downtown Kepi Ghoulie, Sharkanoid, PETS, 7 p.m.

Old Ironsides Open Mic, 9 p.m.

Old Ironsides 10th Street Sessions, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub WTF Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Press Club Setting Sons, West Lords, Bastards of Young, Celestions, 8 p.m.

Powerhouse Pub Stephen Logan, 10 p.m.

Sacramento State: University Union Redwood Room Nooner w/ Element Brass Band, 12 p.m.

Press Club Heckarap! w/DJ Gourmet, Slapgod, MC Ham, N-Pire The Great, Clyde Moore, 8 p.m.

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

Sacramento State: University Union Redwood Room Element Brass Band, 12 p.m.

2.12 Thursday

Ace of Spades Migos, 7 p.m. Bar 101 Karaoke, 7:30 p.m. The Blue Lamp Dru Down, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 10 p.m. Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m. The Coffee Garden Open Mic Night, 8 p.m. Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Steve McLane, 8 p.m. G Street Wunderbar Rock On! Live Band Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Shady Lady Tyson Graf Trio, 9 p.m. Starlite Lounge This Green City: Post-punk, New Wave, Darkwave w/ DJ Dire DeLorean, DJ Chat Noir, 9 p.m. The Stoney Inn The Chris Gardner Band, 9 p.m. Torch Club Mind X Quartet, 5 p.m.; Dippin Sauce, 9 p.m.

2.13 FRIDAY

Ace of Spades Stick To Your Guns, The Amity Affliction, Being As An Ocean, ‘68, In Hearts Wake, 6 p.m. Back 9 Bar & Grill Snakes N Cider, 8 p.m.

Harlow’s William Fitzimmons, 6 p.m.; Big Smo, Haden Carpenter, 9 p.m.

Bar 101 Orion Walsh, Andrew Castro, 9:30 p.m.

The Hideaway Bar & Grill Trash Rock Thursdays, 9 p.m.

The Blue Lamp Free Up Fridays w/ DJ Wokstar, 10 p.m.

Level Up Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

The Boardwalk Baeza, Playah K, Reign, DJ Eddie Z, 7 p.m.

Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Cache Creek Casino Roberta Flack, 8 p.m.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Thunder Valley Casino Resort Super Valentine’s Jam w/ S.O.S. Band, Club Nouveau, Kid ‘N’ Play, 7 p.m. Tommy T’s Country DJ & Dancing, 9 p.m. Torch Club Blake & Orion, 5:30 p.m.; Mr. December, Val Starr Band, 9 p.m.

2.11

Luciano Admiral Tibet, Xsample Harlow’s 9 p.m.

2.15

Presenting the best in music, dance and speakers

Sunday

Bar 101 Denver Saunders, 2 p.m. The Boardwalk Night of the Blue Swan w/ Secret Band, Hail The Sun, Stolas, Sianvar, Kurt Travis, Eidola, Wolf & Bear, 6 p.m. Broderick Roadhouse Karaoke w/ DJ Jazcat, 9 p.m. Cafe Colonial Conceived In Chaos, Astral Cult, Petty Education, Ballistic Burnout, 6 p.m.

Capitol Garage Fyah Fridays w/ DJ Jaytwo, 10 p.m. District 30 Miles Medina, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon DJ ZR, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Hans & the Hot Mess, Zyah Belle, 9 p.m. Gold Lion Arts Shanna Sordhal, Sharmi Basu, Shani Aviram, 8 p.m. Golden Bear DJ Crook, 10 p.m.

The Boardwalk Jonny Craig, Kyle Lucas, Captain Midnite, This Farewell, Zach Van Dyck, Mercedes Avenue, 6:30 p.m. Cache Creek Casino Roberta Flack, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Feel Good Saturday’s w/ DJ Epik, 10 p.m.

Goldfield Country Strong, 9 p.m.

El Dorado Saloon Red Union Blue Country, 9 p.m.

Harlow’s Monophonics, Ideateam, 8 p.m.

Fox & Goose Friends (Beatles tribute), 9 p.m.

The Hideaway Bar & Grill Royal Peacock Tattoo’s 8 Year Anniversary Party w/ Kill the Precedent, Horseneck, Arch Angel, 8 p.m.

G Street WunderBar Katdelic, Ideateam, 9:30 p.m.

Kupros Craft House The Sealegs, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m. Old Ironsides Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Tribute Show w/ The Nickel Slots, 50 Watt Heavy, Blame the Bishop, Bright Faces, The Orange Scene and More, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Cluster Phunk, 10 p.m. Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Clean Slate, 9:30 p.m. Sammy’s Island Bar and Grill Sweet Revenge, 9:30 p.m. Shady Lady Humble Wolf, 9 p.m. Shine David Houston, Audra Connelly, Travis Jean, 8 p.m. Starlite Lounge Some Fear None, Snow White Smile, Stationary, 8 p.m. The Stoney Inn Oh! the Band, 9 p.m. Thunder Valley Casino Resort The Music of Abba, 8 p.m. Tommy T’s Colleen Heauser, 9 p.m.

Goldfield Cripple Creek Band, 9 p.m. Harlow’s Mumbo Gumbo, 5:30 p.m.; Midnight Players, 9:30 p.m. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Jefferson Starship, 7:30 p.m. KBAR Z Rokk, 9 p.m. Level Up Lounge Guest DJs, 9 p.m. Main Stage Theater (Grass Valley) A Night at the Cabaret w/ The Sin City Orchestra, DJ Mysdefy, Bowtie Beauties Burlesque, 9 p.m. Mix DJ Eddie Edul, 9 p.m. UC Davis Mondavi Center 19th Annual Wennberg Music Festival, 2:30 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Thunder Cover, 10 p.m. Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Clean Slate, 10 p.m. Sammy’s Island Bar and Grill Set in Stone, 9:30 p.m. Shady Lady Tessie Marie, 9 p.m. Shine The Mondegreens, 8 p.m.

Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 9 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m. Main Stage Theater (Grass Valley) The Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Show, 7:30 p.m. Mix DJ Gabe Xavier, 8:30 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Roy Rogers, 3 p.m. Press Club Sunday Night Soul Party w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Chad Bushnell, 1 p.m. Shady Lady Alex Jenkins, 9 p.m. Third Space Nudity, Human Body, Quartz Thrust, 8 p.m. Torch Club Blues Jam, 4 p.m.; Billy Don Burns, Jon Emery, 8 p.m.

2.16 Monday

The Blue Lamp Acoustic/Spoken Open Mic, 8 p.m. The Boxing Donkey Open Mic Variety Night, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Open Mic Night hosted by Musical Charis, 9 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m.

Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m. LowBrau Motown on Monday’s w/ DJ Epik, 9 p.m.

continued on page 22

Ace of Spades Motion City Soundtrack, Hellogoodbye, Driver Friendly, 6:30 p.m. Back 9 Bar & Grill Moon Mantis, Korean Fire Drill, Chick Habit, 8 p.m. Bar 101 Valentines Day w/ Billy Manzik, 9:30 p.m. The Blue Lamp Radio Radio: ‘80s Dance Night w/ Erasure-Esque (Erasure tribute), DJ’s Bryan Hawk & David X, 9 p.m.

SubmergeMag.com

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center Three actors voice dozens of characters, a Foley artist creates all the sound effects and a pianist plays a cinematic score while more than 1,250 individual full-color, hi-resolution comic book panels tell a hilarious sci-fi adventure visually on an enormous movie screen. And it is all done live in front of your eyes. No previous Intergalactic experience necessary.

Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlasela TUE, MAR 10 • 8PM

South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela and vocalist Vusi Mahlasela offer a musical celebration of freedom and the legacy of Nelson Mandela.

Donny McCaslin Group

UC Davis: Jackson Hall Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, 8 p.m.

Saturday

An Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel WED, MAR 4 • 8PM

Goldfield Open Mic Night hosted by James Cavern, 9 p.m.

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

2.14

Robot Planet Rising

WED–SAT. MAR 25–28 • 8PM

2.14

Jonny Craig Kyle Lucas, Captain Midnite, This Farewell, Zach Van Dyck, Mercedes Avenue The Boardwalk 6:30 p.m.

Saxophonist Donny McCaslin fuses his trademark hard-charging improvisation with funk-inflected electronica elements and arena-rock power to come up with a powerful new modern jazz sound.

Buddy Guy

WED, APR 8 • 8PM

ADDED!

A pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound and a living link to that city’s halcyon days of electric blues.

A full list of the 2014–15 season is available at mondaviarts.org Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

SHOWS AT SAC STATE

Second Saturday Artist Reception w/

Sharon Gerber Capital Public Radio 4 p.m.

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

WWW.SACSTATEUNIQUE.COM NOONER

MOVIE

BRIAN CHRIS ROGERS

BIG HERO 6

WED • JAN 28 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

THUR • JAN 29 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

FREE: reggae soul and funk concert

FREE: an action packed comedy-adventure film about the special bond that develops between a plus-sized inflatable robot and prodigy

2.05

Kel Mitchell Sacramento State: University Union Ballroom 7:30 p.m.

2.14

EVENT

NOONER

THE STAND OUT STATE

KEL MITCHELL

WED • FEB 4 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

THUR • FEB 5 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

FREE: alternative indie pop concert

FREE: from Nickelodeon’s All That and Kenan and Kel, 90’s music mash up followed by comedy and Q & A

NOONER

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

Off the Top w/ Kiry Shabazz, Feb. 11, 8 p.m.

Midtown BarFly Wonderful Union Launch Party w/ Broncho, The Croissants, So Stressed, 8 p.m.

Ian Bagg, Reggie Steele, Shanti Charan, Feb. 12 - 15, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.

Press Club Love Cryme, Mirrorgloss, DJ Jonah Paul, 8 p.m.

Comedy Laughs Unlimited Comedy Open Mic Showcase, Feb. 3, 8 p.m. For A Good Cause! Comedy Show w/ Dru Burks, Cheryl Anderson, DJ Sandhu, hosted by Ian Salmon, Feb. 4, 7 p.m.

ELEMENT BRASS BAND

HUMBLE WOLF

WED • FEB 11 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

WED • FEB 18 • 12P • UNIVERSITY UNION REDWOOD ROOM

FREE: New Orleans second line brass band

FREE: indie rock concert

Cash Levy, David Lew, Feb. 6 - 8, Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. Mark G, Keon Polee, Feb. 13 - 15, Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Open Mic Comedy, every Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. MontBleu Resort Casino Lewis Black, Feb. 6, 8 p.m.

NOONER

Punchline Comedy Club Sacramento Comedy Showcase, Feb. 4, 8 p.m. Comedy Allstars w/ Keith Lowell Jensen, Johnny Taylor, John Ross, Kelly Pryce, Alfonso Portela, Feb. 5, 8 p.m.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES THUR • FEB 12 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM Stage production based on Eve Ensler’s monologues with real women exploring intimacy, vulnerability and sexual self-discovery. Tickets are $5 for Sac State students, $7 for community college students and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available at www.SacStateUNIQUE.com

Lance Woods & Friends, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. Going Up On A Tuesday Comedy Jam w/ Mike E. Winfield and Friends, Feb. 10, 8 p.m.

HYPNOTIST

MOVIE

Tommy Johnagin, Cory Loykasek, Daniel Humbarger, Feb. 6 - 7, Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.;

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

TOM DELUCA

THUR • FEB 19 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

THUR • FEB 26 • 7:30P • UNIVERSITY UNION BALLROOM

FREE: 2014 American satirical drama film that focuses on a group of African American college students at a predominantly white college

FREE: hypnotist

Cage Match, Tuesday’s, 9 p.m. Improv Lab, Harold Night & Gordon Teams, Wednesday’s, 7 - 10 p.m. Gag Order & Improv Jam, Thursday’s, 8 - 10 p.m. Top 10 Podcast, Friday’s, 7 p.m. Anti-Cooperation League, Saturday’s, 9 p.m. Sacramento State: University Union Ballroom Kel Mitchell, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m. Sleep Train Arena Aziz Ansar Live! “A Larger Than Life Comedy Event,” Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Tommy T’s Bobby Slayton, Feb. 5 - 8, 7 p.m. James Lee Reeves, Feb. 13 - 15, 7 p.m.

Misc. 20th Street (Between J and K) Midtown Farmers Market, every Saturday, 8 a.m. Belle Cooledge Library Straight Talk Story Tellers feat. Mary McGrath, Terry Checkon and Others, Feb. 4, 7 p.m. Benvenuti Performing Arts Center Blackrock Dance Company Presents: Passage, Feb. 6 - 7 Blue Cue Bar Bingo, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m.

Hiram Johnson High School Chinese New Year Celebration 2015, Feb. 7, 12 p.m.

Blue Line Gallery The Crocker-Kingsley Competition and Exhibition, through Feb. 21

Historic Old Folsom Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m.

The Boxing Donkey Trivia Night, every Tuesday, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m. Capital Public Radio Second Saturday Artist Reception w/ Sharon Gerber, Feb. 14, 4 p.m. Community Center Theatre Sacramento Ballet Presents: Peter Pan, Feb. 13 - 15 Country Club Plaza 12th Annual Valentine Run/Walk, Feb. 14, 8 a.m. Crocker Art Museum Black History Month Celebration, Feb. 15, 12 p.m. Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie Moderne: Paris 1880–1910, through Apr. 26 Elliott Fouts Gallery An Eclectic Grouping feat. Select Faculty & Alumni from the UC Davis Art Department: Wayne Thiebaud, Tony Natsoulas, Michael Ramstead and More, Feb. 7 - Mar. 5 Fox & Goose Pub Quiz, Tuesday’s, 7 p.m. Goldfield Free Line Dance Lessons, Tuesday’s, 8:30 p.m. Bar Games Night: Beer Pong, Corn Hole and More, Wednesday’s, 8 p.m. Harris Center for the Arts Russian National Ballet Theatre, Feb. 3 - 5

Jackson Sports Academy Indoor Soccer: Sacramento Surge vs. Turlock Express, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. La Sierra Community Center Sacramento Darwin Day, Feb. 8, 2:30 p.m. Laughs Unlimited Love Jones Night Part II feat. Poetry and Live Music, Feb. 5, 8 p.m. Flowmantic Expressions Valentines Special w/ ThePoet StanleyRay, Khoree ThePoet and More, Feb. 12, 8 p.m. Little Relics Boutique & Galleria All New Sacred Heart and Surprise Works by Rob-O Sugar Skull Artist, Feb. 10 - 28; Second Saturday Tamale Party, Feb. 14, 6 p.m. Little Saigon Plaza Lunar Flower Fest 2015, Feb. 14 - 15, 10 a.m. Luna’s Cafe Poetry Unplugged, every Thursday, 8 p.m. Midtown BarFly Salsa Lessons, every Wednesday, 8 p.m. Mondavi Center: Jackson Hall Les 7 Doigts de la Main: Sequence 8, Feb. 8, 3 p.m. Old Soul at the Weatherstone Diversity: The Artworks of Noël Sandino, through Feb. 10 Pine Cove Trivia Night, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m. Press Club Flex Your Head Trivia, Tuesday’s, 8 p.m. Sacramento Ballet Studios Inside the Director’s Studio: The Making of Peter Pan, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. Shimo Center for the Arts Different Times, Different Places by Mary Coldren, Feb. 14 - Mar. 11 Shine Red Alice’s Poetry Emporium hosted by Bill Gainer, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Various Museums 17th Annual Sacramento Museum Day, Feb. 7

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For more info: (916) 278-6997 or www.theuniversityunion.com/gallery

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Woodenboy and the Serpent

The Scarecrow Takes Flight

Young Master

UC Davis alum Michael Ramstead finds himself in elite company in Elliott Fouts Gallery’s upcoming exhibit Words Nur Kausar

C Davis has consistently hired and/or trained some of the top American artists of the last half century. Its proximity to the Bay Area and Greater Sacramento Area, both brimming with million-plus populations, galleries, museums, local artists and global visitors, allows the public to experience the art that has come out of this relatively small but renowned art department. Elliott Fouts Gallery on P Street in Sacramento is taking advantage of the talent with its show An Eclectic Grouping, featuring select faculty and alumni. Among the renowned

are professors emeriti and Bay Area Figurative Movement artists Roland Petersen, Manuel Neri and Wayne Thiebaud. Alumni—many of whom studied under the aforementioned— include Peter VandenBerge, whose sculptures have shown at the Crocker Museum, SFMOMA and the Smithsonian Institute; his daughter and sculptor Camille; sculptors Tony Natsoulas and Rene Martucci; and painter Vonn Sumner. When 27-year-old Michael Ramstead received a request to join the show and round out this list, he didn’t realize he’d be the youngest of the group. “That’s actually quite an

honor, and I really appreciate the gallery reaching out to me and inviting me to show alongside these accomplished artists,” he says. The invite isn’t really a stretch once Ramstead’s work is placed with the others. The Long Beach, California resident and 2010 graduate of the UC Davis Art Studio focuses on pop surrealism, portraiture and lowbrow illustrations that reflect his generation just as the Figurative masters reflected theirs in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Ramstead fell in love with painting in his senior year of high school when he was exposed to more illustrative

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

artists at that time. “Usually you think of modern art as more interpretive and weird,” he says. “I’ve been more influenced with cartoons and video games and seeing fine artists use those as inspiration...it’s a more illustrative style than I’ve ever seen. I’m really glad this type of art has become more popular over the years.” Some of these artists included Mark Ryden, James Jean, Alex Gross, Shaun Tan and photographers/installation artists Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick. Ramstead says he wants his fine art—the oil paintings—to

The Minotaur reflect more of his skill and himself as an artist, while his illustrations are more of a quick expression of his feelings. “I take in a lot of pop culture, movies and music and they mean a lot to me, and these illustrations are a fast way to get that out,” he says. “It’s still me, but it’s a quick way of saying, ‘hey I like this.’” Examples of the illustrations are definitely more prominent across Ramstead’s social media, as he’s another in a quickly growing line of young artists who has embraced

platforms like Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter to share and sell art. His influences and thus his connection to his fans have become better established through these means. So basically, if you’re feverishly texting your friends about Wes Anderson, Taylor Swift, ‘90s cartoons, podcasts, manga and anything else pop culture, Ramstead is doing the same, but also expressing his thoughts about it all in intricate sketches and humorous caricatures. “One thing that got me into drawing was horror movies,” he

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Left: Lamplight Above: Phone Call

explains. “I did a challenge for myself and watched a horror movie every day in the month of October and did an illustration based off of it. I became a fan of the more cartoon-y ones.” These, and some very sweet illustrations in the same vein but with romance movies, can be found on Ramstead’s website (Michaelramstead.com) and social media pages. “I’ve been able to connect with people like directors and singers who say they like my interpretation and it’s really cool to see that,” he says. “There are a lot of galleries right now that are focusing on pop culture art as well.” For example, Ramstead has painted scenes from movies like True Grit and Rushmore for showings at Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco. His lifelike fine art also has a similar but more intricate inspiration. “For a while the inspiration for the paintings has been different stories based on the paranormal, folklore, Greek mythology, horror movies and horror stories,” he says, which is noticeable in most of the paintings but not always in the foreground. Sometimes a portrait of a young woman looking scared or disturbed at the viewer might have a creature’s shadow or skeleton lurking in the background. “Mythology is pulling ahead as a major influence right now. But I’m trying to put it in a specific era or time period that stylistically I’ve always been drawn to.” SubmergeMag.com

The paintings he is referring to include Ariadne, Chione, Centaur and others, that portray women or bodies that look contemporary but match the myth in subtle scenic ways. Many of his paintings portray women. Part of that, he says, is aesthetics—because he finds women beautiful—but the other part he thinks may be more psychological as he has always been drawn toward heroines in stories. For the Elliott Fouts Gallery show, which runs Feb. 7 to March 5, Ramstead has three paintings: Lamplight, Phone Call and The White Hart, all of which portray women. “These three paintings came out of a time when I was shifting the focus of my work from a more fantastical and cartoonish style and subject matter to more realistic portraiture,” he says. “I was consistently impressed by artists who were able to capture

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the human form so well and that’s the challenge I set my sights on.” Ramstead adds that this style allowed him to hone his technical abilities. He wanted to hold on to his more fantastical elements, but also ground his figures in the real world to a certain extent. “In these, mood is more important than any one specific narrative, though I hope there’s enough there for people to be able to create a story of their own in their minds,” he says. Take a look for yourself starting Feb. 7 at the gallery on 1831 P Street.

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Quick and Dirty Sticky Gator

2322 K Street • Sacramento Words Niki Kangas • photos jenny price In a city like Sacramento that is teeming with competing top-notch restaurants, it’s essential to their survival for restaurateurs to carve a niche— either by doing something completely different than anyone else, or by focusing on being the best at one aspect of what they offer. Take, for example, Sticky Gator, a recently opened barbecue and soul food eatery on 24th and K streets next to Golden Bear. Throw a rock in any direction, and you’ll hit Sandra Dee’s, Tank House BBQ and Bar, T&R Taste of Texas or other barbecue spots that seem innumerable as the stars. It’s a sticky situation. So what makes Sticky Gator stand out in a crowd? In this writer’s opinion, it is not that they have the best barbecue food available in the land (although it was good), but their speedy service, heaping portions and great location that shine. Having recently visited New Orleans, I had the opportunity to try the best Louisiana Cajun, Creole and soul food in the world, so in fairness to Sticky Gator, their barbecue and soul food is delicious, but just doesn’t compare with Mr. B’s Bistro on Royal Street, or even locally, Tank House. But Sticky Gator does make for a good

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

feast in Midtown where the parking is easy and your food is delivered almost instantly. Additionally, what first struck me as expensive resulted in four filling meals, making for a good investment. I ordered the Lil Sticky Platter, which comes with two regular side choices and the daily special, which was chicken and sausage gumbo served with cornbread, totaling about $25. The initial sticker shock subsided when I quickly was served enough food to feed a family. Although the ambiance is clean and comfortable, the plating of the food ain’t fancy. Everything is served in biodegradable to-go containers—no china for you—but that makes it all the more speedy to dip when you’ve had enough, without having to ask for a box, because chances are, you won’t be cleaning your “plate.” Going back to the look and feel of Sticky Gator, the outside is garishly blanketed with bright, alarming colors (much like a restaurant in the French Quarter), and their mascot, Sticky (a gator), is painted on the front and the side of the building. Patrons can either sit inside at spacious booths amid a red, yellow and green color scheme and check out walls lined with Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

photographs of blues singers and gig posters; or they can chill in the sunshine at patio tables between the sidewalk and bustling K Street, and people watch. I sat down at a booth by a large sunlit window to go in on this massive mountain of grub. My Lil Sticky Platter choices were the barbecue tri-tip (ordered spicy), mashed potatoes with gravy and collard greens. The tri-tip was thinly sliced and a little fatty for my tastes, but juicy and flavorful, and the homemade spicy barbecue sauce wasn’t crazy-spicy, but had some kick and was well-balanced with tartness. Mashed potatoes with gravy is what I would want as my last meal before I went to jail or died, and I was happy with these—nice and lumpy, chunks of beef in the gravy, and savory without being overly salty. The collard greens were underwhelming, soaked in an oily liquid and seemingly only self-flavored, but I like my greens so I ate ‘em up. Everyone does gumbo differently, and I did not prefer the Sticky Gator way. It was super chunky, with just a hint of broth, riddled with okra and also comprised of corn, celery, tomatoes, onions, chicken and sausage. The accompanying cornbread was again, a lion’s share, and was a bit dry. Other entrée options include barbecue pulled pork, ribs, hot links, andouille sausage and fried chicken or catfish. Sticky Gator boasts a plethora of side choices from black-eyed peas to mac and cheese, and also offers a list of sandwiches. And if your gut ain’t busted yet or you brought your sweet tooth along, there are a ton of dessert options in a display case just beyond the primary ordering counter. Like Sticky Gator’s predecessor, Rick’s Dessert Diner, which used to be housed in the same spot and has since changed locations, Sticky Gator attempts to lure you astray from your New Year’s resolutions with everything from chocolate mousse to French toast bread pudding, cookies to pies, cheesecakes, lemon bars, cakes…enough eye candy to give you diabetes just looking upon it. The desserts are made by Vesela Peneva, owner of Desserts by Vesela. The owners of Sticky Gator, Lisa Nannini and Rodney Ray, are also its chefs, and are responsible for all of the cooking. Ray is also

the owner of T&R Taste of Texas on Broadway, and Nannini, along with her husband, also owns Delta Restaurant Supply and Party Rentals, which provides catering services. The trio has know each other for a long time, has worked together in the past at catering events and decided to team up Nannini’s soul food skills with Ray’s barbecue expertise. Nannini also fell in love with soul food on a visit to New Orleans. Says Nannini, “We consider our restaurant to be a fast casual place. Our customers are able to see all of the food and so they know exactly what they are getting. We also allow our customers to taste samples so they are sure to love their choices… I think what makes us different from other barbecue restaurants is the number of our home-cooked soul food sides. Many of our sides are recipes handed down from our families. We truly offer ultimate comfort food.” I’m not sure if any of you readers noticed, but when the paint first went up at Sticky Gator, the painted-on signage above the entrance read, “Sticky Fingers.” Having a dirty mind and an eighth grade sense of humor, I immediately connoted the restaurant name with you-knowwhat. So I wondered, when I saw that they’d changed the name to Sticky Gator prior to their grand opening, did they do so because I wasn’t the only person whose mind went straight to the gutter? But nah, I came to find out it was a cease and desist, as there is already a Sticky Fingers chain on the East Coast. Nannini looks on the bright side: “I worked on our alligator mascot, ‘Sticky’ for a long time to get him just right for our New Orleans, Louisiana swamp-themed restaurant, and so it actually worked out great because our customers love our alligator and our T-shirts.” Sticky Gator is sure to stick around with its impossible-to-miss exterior in the heart of Midtown, and its daunting mounds of fast and hearty barbecue and soul food Sticky Gator is open fare. And if you’re Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to having a bad day, 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sticky Gator is the Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/ perfect place to eat stickygator or call 382-9178 your feelings. for more info.

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

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Men are dogs. Am I right, ladies? They might have it all—the perfect job, money, a beautiful wife—but they always end up begging strangers for treats, if you know what I’m saying. That familiar scenario plays itself out with ho-hum results in the new thriller, The Loft, starring Karl Urban of Star Trek reboot fame. Urban stars as Vincent Stevens, an it-boy in the world of architecture. He’s responsible for those buildings with the awesome apartments that you wish you could afford. At the opening of his newest project, Stevens takes his four bestest bros on a tour and brings them to a lavish loft. He presents each of them with a key and tells them the loft will be their personal playground—an oasis where they can do whatever they want, with whomever they want, without having to worry about suspicious hotel charges showing up on credit card statements, basically every married douchebag’s fantasy. Stevens’ friends are a cornucopia of archetypes: the hot head (Philip, played by Matthias Schoenaerts); the loud-mouth drunk (Marty, played by Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet); the kind of secretive mumble-y dude (Luke, played by Wentworth Miller); and the sensitive guy who’s not quite sure this is a good idea (Chris, Philip’s half-brother, played by James Marsden, aka Cyclops in the X-Men franchise). For his part, Urban is the cool, calculating Stevens, around whom this whole group of dudes. At first, Chris is the only one to reject Vincent’s loft key, saying it’ll just blow up in everyone’s faces. But then he meets Anne Morris (played by the unnervingly gorgeous Rachael Taylor) at Philip’s wedding, and all that “But I’m a loyal husband to my unloving wife” bullshit dissipates real quick. Things are great for our guys, until the day when Luke enters the loft, finds a woman handcuffed to a bed, face down in a pool of blood, apparently murdered in some Fifty Shades-style night of debauchery. The thing is, only five keys exist, and no one knows about the loft— or its security code—other than the guys, so one of them must be responsible. The Loft then spends the rest of its time trying to unravel the mystery of whodunit.

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

There’s a lot to like about The Loft when the movie gets started. First, it’s got a decent cast of actors who may not be A-listers, but are all really competent. And other than Urban, whose schmaltzy delivery of just about every word of his innuendo-laden dialog makes you want to kick him in the balls, all of them do a nice job here—especially Stonestreet, who provides some much-needed levity. Other than Taylor, who lights up the screen in a pedestrian role, there’s not much of a female presence in the film, except Rhona Mitra, who stands out as Chris’ deliciously cranky wife Allison. The film is also fun to look at. Erik Van Looy, who also directed the Belgian version of The Loft, gives the film a slick look and builds tension with frenetic close-ups of people’s faces, whiskey tumblers, apartment access speaker-phone speakers… just about everything. You’ll be able to count each one of Marsden’s eyelashes in a couple of scenes, which is great if that’s your thing. Unfortunately, all the tense build-up peters out in a lackluster conclusion. While I wouldn’t call the ending predictable (though in all honesty, I’m never one to accurately predict the ending of any thriller), it just seems sudden and heavy-handed, as if the writers said, well, we have to wrap it up somehow, so… This played out elsewhere in the script, too, in plot points that were introduced but never really fleshed out. There was Philip’s troubled youth, wherein he and Chris’ half-sister, Zoe (Dora Madison Burge from Friday Night Lights) bounced around in foster homes and were abused by their father. There was also the oft-mentioned matter of “the rules” of the loft. The guys talked about the rules a lot, like, who was abiding by them or who was breaking them, but no one really mentioned what they were. We were kind of left to piece them together: Text if you were going to use the loft? Don’t tell anyone about the loft? Remember when it’s your turn to replenish the loft’s supply of condoms? The fact that the rules were only loosely defined wouldn’t have been such a big problem for me if they didn’t bring them up so goddamn much. The most important rule you should take from The Loft is that if your best bro offers you a key to some swinging downtown pad, don’t take it, because eventually you’ll probably have to cover up a murder or something. Stop barking up the wrong tree. Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

the shallow end I hate being sick. As I type this, I’m totally dying. I just have a cold or something, but I know this is the end. I’ve been chugging NyQuil before bedtime like I used to chug whiskey when I was young and fun. (Honestly, though, I have to say NyQuil is way better. Have you ever tried to fight the urge to sleep and stay awake after you take NyQuil? It’s crazy! I was so high the other night, babbling all kinds of crazy shit, and that was just after taking the prescribed dosage. Maybe I’m just a lightweight, but I can’t believe they sell this stuff over the counter.) Every time I get sick, I figure it’s just the beginning of the downward spiral that ends with me in the grave. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to call it a “psychosis,” but it’s probably pretty close. My problem with getting sick is multifaceted. First, it’s just another instance of my body betraying me. Like the time I came back from the barbershop when I was 24 and realized I was going bald, or after puberty when my growth spurt petered out at a generic 5-foot-9. And how I wasn’t genetically blessed with washboard abs, and even at my most fit and healthy was saddled with a ring of perma-

That’s Sick, Bro

blubber around my midsection. There’s also my ears’ propensity to produce copious amounts of earwax, but I figure if I keep going, you’ll probably get pretty grossed out. That’s the thing, too; being sick makes you realize that bodies are gross. All your cranial orifices become juicy and moist and other disgusting adjectives. I hate that gurgle-y sound my entire head seems to make every time I breathe, and my breath itself just feels humid. I really hate it when that little drop of mucus starts to flow out of my nostril and I’m busy driving or whatever so I can’t take care of it right away so it pools in that stupid indentation above my upper lip and I’m never able to grab a tissue in time before it dribbles in my mouth. I hate that when I speak, I sound like Chuckie Finster from Rugrats, even though I’m pushing 40. I also find myself acting even more like a child than I usually do, and that’s just not becoming of a man my age. I’m totally helpless and just want a blanky and/or my mommy. Or orange juice. Or chocolate chip cookies. Actually, if you could get me some chocowat chips, I would weally appweciate it. Pwease?

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

James Barone jb@submergemag.com But as paranoid as I get about my health, I’m stubbornly opposed to doing anything about it. I hate going to doctors. I think I’m mostly afraid that my worst fears would be confirmed; or worse, that I’d be reminded that I’m just a wimpy hypochondriac. Really though, unless you’re really, really sick, there’s nothing going to the doctor can do for you. They’re just going to tell me to drink plenty of fluids and take Motrin, or, if I’m lucky, prescribe me something fun like cough syrup laced with codeine. I know they’re not going to cure me, because as we all know, there is no cure for the common cold. I’m not sure the last time anyone came up with a cure for anything. Even stuff I thought was taken care of always seems to rear its ugly head, like bubonic plague, or THE plague as it’s often referred to because it’s so fucking scary. Since August, the plague has been ravaging Madagascar. This past week, the World Health Organization reported that 57 of the 213 known people infected with bubonic plague had died, with a wider outbreak feared after the island nation suffered a recent spate of flooding. The plague has been kicking humanity’s ass since the Dark Ages, you know? If we haven’t been able to

lick it by now, how can we expect we ever will? How about something closer to home? The fears that we’re all going to get Ebola may have been laid to rest, but what about something deceptively worse and even more contagious? Welcome the measles to the list of things you thought you didn’t have to worry about anymore. Disneyland was ground zero for a recent outbreak that has seen 79 cases of measles and rising in California (52 of those cases can be linked to Disneyland, according to a Jan. 29 article on CNN.com). An additional 16 cases in other states, such as Arizona, can be linked to the Disneyland outbreak. Outside the United States, measles is a huge problem: more than half of the 250,000 people who contracted the highly contagious disease died last year (but you know, who needs a vaccine?). Another thing I tend to do when I’m sick is self-diagnose and/or look up frightening articles about deadly diseases online. Mostly the latter. That could contribute to why I always think that every sniffle or sneeze will be my last; but then again, if I didn’t scour the Internet for all these nasty things, I probably wouldn’t have anything to write about.

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10 : 0 0 p m

all

aGes

•

8:00pm

•

2708

street

•

sacr amento

•

lee Bannon

street

•

over

•

8:00pm

over

•

9:00pm

sacr amento

•

all

over

aGe

•

2708

street

•

sacr amento

•

over

•

9:00pm

Harlow’s

•

2708

street

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sacr amento

TickeTS availaBle aT: aBSTRacTpReSenTS.coM TickeTfly.coM TickeTS foR haRlow’S ShowS alSo availaBle aT haRlowS.coM

•

over

friday

mar 6 tuesday

mar 10 mar 13 monday

•

6:00pm

•

8:00pm

a c e o f s p a d e s • 1417 r s t r e e t • s a c r a m e n t o • a l l a G e s • 7 : 0 0 p m

Harlow’s

feb 19

friday

kool keiTh (aka dR. ocTaGon) kyle kinane [from comedy central] Moon hooch / ScoTT peMBeRTon TRio [cd release] !!! (chk chk chk) STuRGill SiMpSon The dead MilkMen ex hex [members of wild flaG / Helium] •

feb 17 thursday

duSTBowl Revival TRaSh Talk / RaTkinG •

feb 13 tuesday

b l u e l a m p • 14 0 0 a l H a m b r a b lv d • s a c r a m e n t o • 2 1 & o v e r • 8 : 0 0 p m

Harlow’s

feb 10 friday

deSeRT noiSeS • GoodniGhT TexaS 2708

feb 9 tuesday

poRT ST. willow

Harlow’s

info@submergemag.com

•

ZeppaRella [all female led Zeppelin tribute] TwiliGhT Sad

Harlow’s

or email Us

street

ALo

Harlow’s

(916) 441-3803

wild child

Harlow’s

Call Us

2708

monday

The dodoS

Harlow’s

Affordable. Effective.

•

david hunTSBeRGeR (coMedian)

•

8:00pm

mar 16 tuesday

mar 17 wednesday

mar 18 thursday

mar 19 tuesday

mar 24 friday

apr 17 tuesday

apr 21 friday

may 20

TickeTS foR The BoaRdwalk ShowS alSo availaBle aT TheBoaRdwalkpReSenTS.coM TickeTS foR ace of SpadeS alSo availaBle aT aceofSpadeSSac. coM & 916.443.9202

Issue 180 • February 2 – February 16, 2015

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas

february 2 – 16, 2015

#180

Tiaras Hi-Fi Pop from Former

Michael Ramstead Mythic Realism

Members of Ganglians/ Blasted Canyons

Aziz Ansari

Ty’Quan Thomas

Comes to Sleep Train Arena

Real Life Rap

alo A Certain Kind

Sticky Gator Does Midtown’s

of Freedom

Newest BBQ Joint Stand Out?

vvomen

From Yuba City, With Love

Xochi l coast to coast

free