Submerge Magazine: Issue 229 (December 19, 2016 - January 2, 2017) by Submerge Magazine

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas December 19, 2016 – january 2, 2017

Brian Posehn

Laugh Sabbath La La Land ’s

Love Letter to L.A.

EASTsmf The Natural Choice Wildin’ Out in

#229

Awesome Local Events to ring in the new year Electric Christmas

A Golden Night at the Golden 1

Avery Write There Goes My Hero

Willits First Bands Revealed for Reflections on a Year in the

First Fest

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

coMinG to GraSS Valley GeT TickeTs NOW! Saturday, deceMber 31

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with music in the mountains youth orchestra

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thecenterfortheartS.orG 6

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

*Ticket prices do not include applicable fees

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

229 20162017 Submerge: an independently owned entertainment/lifestyle publication available for free biweekly throughout the greater Sacramento area.

december 19 – january 2 cofounder/ Editor in Chief/ Art Director

Melissa Welliver melissa@ submergemag.com cofounder/ Advertising Director

Jonathan Carabba jonathan@ submergemag.com senior editor

James Barone Assistant Editor

Daniel Taylor

Contributing Writers

Ellen Baker, Robin Bacior, Robert A. Berry II, Bocephus Chigger, Ronnie Cline, Justin Cox, Alia Cruz, Josh Fernandez, Andy Garcia, Blake Gillespie, Lovelle Harris, Mollie Hawkins, Eddie Jorgensen, Niki Kangas, Nur Kausar, John Phillips, Ryan Prado, Andrew C. Russell, Estefany Salas, Andrew Scoggins, Amy Serna, Jacob Sprecher, Richard St.Ofle, Haley Teichert

Contributing photographers

Kevin Cortopassi, Evan E. Duran, Kevin Fiscus, Dillon Flowers, Phill Mamula, Jason Sinn

Submerge

1009 22nd Street, Suite 3 Sacramento, California 95816

916.441.3803 info@ submergemag.com

22 07

Dive in

The Stream

20 eastsmf

The Optimistic Pessimist

11 la la land THE GRINDHOUSE

12 14

Submerge your senses off the grid in Willits

SubmergeMag.com

22 24 27

Brian Posehn

avery write calendar live << rewind

Electric christmas

peace corps: cameroon

the shallow end

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

Submergemag.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram! @SubmergeMag printed on recycled paper

Front Cover photo of Brian Posehn by Lorenzo Hodges back Cover photo of Avery Write by kevin fiscus

dive in Ending 2016 with Another LifeChanging Story Melissa welliver melissa@submergemag.com If you’re flipping through these pages looking for end-of-the-year stuff, like a list of our favorite albums from 2016, well you’re going to have to wait one more issue. It gives us an extra couple weeks to try and recall all the albums that came out back in January and February, which seems like a lifetime ago, plus it gives the albums coming out in the next couple weeks a little bit of a shot. Also, this time around we’re going to do it a little different. You’ll see when you pick us up again on Jan. 2. One of the things I liked about our end-of-the-year issue back in 2015 was the really personal story by contributor Amy Serna on how she basically turned herself into a badass, going from not being able to run for a minute straight to finishing marathons. That feature just really resonated with me, so much so that I knew all the way back in January what our next endof-the-year, life-changing type story should be from another contributor, Andrew Scoggins. I met Andrew in 2013 at Launch Festival at Cesar Chavez Park. He saw my media badge and we got to talking, and he wanted to write for Submerge. He was a great contributor for a few months, until he broke the news that he was shipping off to Cameroon in Central Africa to join the Peace Corps. I followed his blog posts—when he occasionally had internet access—and I found his entries and stories to be amazing. When his journey abruptly came to an end, just shortly before Christmas of 2015, I couldn’t fathom what he was going through, returning to the American grind. I had written down in my notes to pitch him to do a feature for Submerge about his experiences in the Peace Corps, but I wanted to wait until after he’d been back a solid year to really take it in and reflect. Luckily, he accepted my idea and wrote a mind-boggling feature for you, our readers, to dive into. Flip to page 28 and read about his experiences for yourself. We also have a ton of other great content in this issue, like an interview with comedian/actor Brian Posehn, who has deep Sacramento ties and will be returning for a stint of shows at Punch Line soon; as well as an interview with local author and hip-hop artist Avery Write, who has a brand new book out. We also have an article on a great local restaurant, EASTsmf, a huge list of things to do on New Year’s Eve and so much more. Please enjoy issue 229. See you next year. Happy Holidays! -Melissa

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

The stream

Jonathan Carabba

Send regional news tips to info@submergemag.com

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male exoTiv revue monday

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

First Festival Announces Initial Round of Bands for 2017, Event Will Return to West Sac A local music festival featuring dozens of regional bands will return to its roots at River Walk Park in West Sacramento in 2017. First Festival, whose successful inaugural event was held in 2015, suffered from a poor turnout in 2016 when the event moved across the bridge from River Walk Park in West Sacramento to Southside Park in Sacramento, and also went from one day to two days. Despite having a bad year, organizer Danielle Vincent isn’t slowing down and in fact she’s already announced the dates for the third annual First Festival (May 6–7, 2017) along with the first round of six headlining bands which were revealed at a launch party last week at Old I. First Festival 2017 will feature Oleander, a post-grunge act from Sacramento who found great success in the late 90’s and early ‘00s and recently returned from a decade long hiatus; Some Fear None, a local hard rock act with a solid draw; Arden Park Roots, arguably Sacramento’s most popular and hardest working reggae/rock act; punk-rock band City of Vain; hip-hop/electronic duo DLRN; and The Moans, a killer local punk band. “I definitely think that the lineup is stepped up this year for sure as far as headliners go,” Vincent recently told Submerge, going on to mention how much of a learning experience 2016’s event was. Many more acts will be added to the lineup starting in January, so if you’re in a local band, visit Firstfestivalsacramento.com to apply to play. Vincent is throwing another pre-party on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Torch Club and will announce more bands at the event, which will feature live music from Surviving the Era, California Riot Act and The Cutbacks. Presale tickets for First Fest 2017 go on sale on Jan. 1 and will be just $25 for a weekend warrior pass or $15 for single day. As it has before, next year’s event will not only feature live music, but will also have local vendors, food, craft beer and wine, live art, a VIP lounge and much more. Keep up to date with developments at Facebook.com/ firstfestivalsacramento.

Band With Strong Sacramento Ties Receives Grammy Nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album Many congratulations are in order for electronic musician Scott Hansen, also known as Tycho, whose incredible 2016 release, Epoch, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Dance/ Electronic Album category. Although Tycho is now based in San Francisco, Hansen has very strong Sacramento ties. He was born here and for many years spent time creating and releasing music here, gigging at local venues like the now-defunct Marilyn’s on K, working to perfect his ambient, futuristic and grooveridden signature sound right here in the City of Trees. Live, Tycho’s lineup also currently includes local Sacramento guitarist/bassist Zac Brown, who writes music with and tours the globe with Hansen, along with drummer Rory O’Connor, who is from Washington, D.C. Over the last few years Tycho has become a sought after live act, playing many of the biggest festivals in the world and consistently selling out venues. Of the Grammy nod, Hansen wrote on Tycho’s Facebook page, “Absolutely surreal to hear the news this morning that Epoch has been nominated…” going on to say, “The first Tycho release was 14 years ago and since that time I’ve had the good fortune of working with some incredibly talented and passionate people to help realize this vision. For me Epoch felt like the culmination of that journey so to have it recognized in this way is something truly special.” Tycho is up against stiff competition to bring home the hardware. Artists also nominated in the Dance/Electronic category are Flume, Underworld, Little Louie Vega, and Jean-Michel Jarre. Regardless of if they win or not, we can’t congratulate Tycho enough, and we can’t help but be a little proud that Sacramento played a small role in helping Hansen get his start down the musical path that he’s on. Learn more about the group at Tychomusic.com. If you’d like to read our 2014 interview with Hansen, visit Submergemag. com and enter “Tycho” into the search bar at the top of our site. Look for the story titled, “Riding A Wave of Nostalgia: Scott Hansen of Tycho Hits His Stride on His Latest Album.” Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The Optimistic Pessimist Each day, millions of people around the world wake up, get ready for work and nearly kill themselves in the process. Sadly, for most professionals, the difference between life and death depends only on forearm strength. Don’t pull hard enough and you come off looking like a slob; pull too hard and it’s lights out forever. That is why I believe that neckties are a menace and they must be stopped. I count myself amongst the lucky ones. I wear a tie five days a week, and somehow I’ve managed to survive, but only by the skin of my teeth. I cinch my knot to the exact point that it looks tight, but doesn’t feel too tight. Then I spend the next 8–12 hours alternately tightening my tie and gasping for air. To me, wearing a tie is like having a small baby with silk mittens strangle you with every ounce of his being throughout the day. Who do we have to blame for these silken monstrosities? As Americans, our natural inclination is to point the finger at the French

SubmergeMag.com

for anything we don’t like, and in this case, that sentiment would be mostly correct. Like all great fashion trends, the necktie was stolen from the streets; the streets in this case being the Croatian mercenaries in service with the French military during the first half of the 1600s. These Croatian mercenaries wore small knotted neckerchiefs and the fashionistas in Paris thought it was c’est chic. The love affair with the necktie caught on around Europe from there and, much to my chagrin, continues still to this day. While ties have certainly had staying power, some things about them have changed over the years. Like past contestants of The Biggest Loser, neckties have gone from fat to skinny to fat again only to settle somewhere in between and then go skinny again. They’ve been square and pointy, striped and patterned, and some were even festooned with hand-painted pictures of pin-up girls. In the 1930s, men wore their ties short to make their hiked-up pants look less foolish. There are almost as many styles as there are

Protect Ya Neck Bocephus Chigger bocephus@submergemag.com different ways to tie a necktie. I think tying is the most infuriating thing about ties. We don’t have more than one way to wear our pants, so why do we need 600 different ways to tie a tie? I shouldn’t need to be an Eagle Scout to put on my damn clothes, after all. Eventually that same sentiment led to a necktie tying revolt, giving us the clip-on system enjoyed by children and childish adults around the world. Though more comfortable and easier to put on, the clip-on tie just never took off on as massive a scale as its big brother. It may have been the clip-on tie’s obvious fakeness due to its lack of a neck or perhaps it was just the elitism of the real tie wearing professionals that refused to accept these tie frauds. Whatever the cause, clip-on ties were deemed uncool and continue to be to this day. Do you know what else is not cool about ties? They are always in the way. They flop on the table like a dead fish when you get too close. They get in your soup at lunch and slap you in the face when it’s windy. They hang dangerously close to the

water in the toilet when you sit down to take a shit. Some people tuck their ties in their shirt or throw them over their shoulder to avoid such tragedies, but then you forget and you walk around looking like an asshole. That’s why they make tie tacks and why you should get some if you must wear ties on a regular basis. Ties are a pain in the ass and they make everyone that wears them uptight. Have you ever noticed that depictions of utopian futures in film often show people in flowing robes and gowns living in peace and harmony? None of the characters in those movies are wearing neckties, and I think that is what makes all the difference. In the future, maybe we will be enlightened enough to see the truth, just like in the movies. Perhaps someday we will realize that tying small bits of fabric around our necks just doesn’t make sense. It only serves to agitate us and put us at odds with one another. To truly find peace, we must free ourselves from these self-imposed leashes and protect our goddamn necks.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Please support the advertisers that support Submerge! This publication would not be possible without our wonderful advertisers. Visit them and tell ‘em Submerge is the reason. 10

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The grindhouse T

IrvIng BerlIn’s

monday,

WHITe cHRISTmaS

dec 19

doors 6pm movIe 7pm $8 - $10

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tHe MUPPet CHrIstMas Carol starrIng KerMIt tHe Frog,

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DIreCteD By FranK CaPra

dec 22

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jan 8

Losing the Dream La La Land Rated PG-13 Words Richard St.Ofle Listen, I know that for some of you this is a hard sell: Damien Chazelle’s first film since 2014’s Whiplash is a bombastic Hollywood musical starring heartthrobs Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in a wonderfully poetic tribute to Los Angeles, the city Northern Californians love to hate (of course for others, it’s not a very hard sell at all, but this review isn’t for you). For those of us who aren’t sold after seeing the poster, the key to unlocking the film is in the title. La La Land, while obviously referring to the city of smog and sun, is also the imaginary place where people go to lose touch with reality, which is exactly where we find our main characters, as the film itself is about two L.A. creatives who are too caught up in their dreams to know they’ve broken with reality. The title also represents the kind of distance from reality that’s required to buy into Chazelle’s polished musical, and if you can get yourself there, you’ll have a lot of fun. The film opens with a majestic tracking shot that recalls the audacity of films like Touch of Evil or The Player. As the camera navigates L.A. traffic (which is of course at a complete standstill on the I-105/I-110 SubmergeMag.com

interchange, overlooking the entire city), we meet our characters amongst singing, dancing Angelenos who celebrate Southern California winter with the song “Another Day in the Sun.” As the film settles into the first act, we follow Mia (Stone), a studio lot barista and aspiring actress, as she keeps serendipitously running into Sebastian (Gosling), a frazzled, idealistic jazz pianist with nothing in the world to show for his incredible talent. As Sebastian courts Mia, we’re treated to scene after scene of singing and dancing—not the reason I came to see the film, but well done nonetheless. A musical theater friend (there are a lot of those in L.A.) analyzed the signing and dancing in this film as “stupid-level professional and probably rehearsed to the point of nausea.” She also noted that their transitions (which according to her are a big deal in the world of musical theater) were “absolutely flawless”—whatever. But as the second act matures, the singing and dancing numbers are fewer and fewer, and this brings me to why this film had to be a musical: as the characters lose their dreams, they fall deeper and deeper into reality, and so do we. The second half of the film is a very sober look at stale, unfulfilled dreams, and broken relationships, and it’s only in making the first half of the film a musical that a straightforward film feels like a sober look at life and a fall from the La La Land clouds.

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But just as it’s starting to bum you out (no one goes to a musical to be cut open by the cold blade of reality for chrissake), the film roars back to life with a “what could have been” third act, complete with singing and dancing—and this time it’s grounded in reality. The bottom line is that this film wants desperately to be magnificent, and does some pretty audacious things to get there but doesn’t quite make it. We lose the thread of what we thought we were keeping track of in the first two acts and we end up hoping for something else entirely as the film closes. Sometimes that works; it did in Psycho, but Damien Chazelle is no Alfred Hitchcock, and the switch here feels clumsy. What this film lacks in a trackable main tension, it more than makes up for it with the majestically shot singing numbers, which I actually found enjoyably integrated into the story. The best scenes, though, are the ones in which we find Gosling and Stone together in a room full of tense silence. They’re good enough actors, and while the story has structural problems, the emotional scenes hold up the rest of the film. La La Land is an imaginative, beautifully shot, warm-hearted tribute to Los Angeles and a romantic call to action. The film won’t turn your whole world upside down the way it wants to, but it beats sitting in traffic.

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

SBL Entertainment PRESENTs

Your Senses

Wednesday, December 28th at 8:00 pm at the Crest Theatre

Friday, December 30th at 7:30 pm at the Crest Theatre

Jackie Greene Band & The Mother Hips Saturday, December 31th at 8:30 pm at the Crest Theatre

Benjamin T. Ismail as Crumpet the Elf | Photo by Charr Crail

Words submerge staff

SEE

Crumpet the Elf is Back in The Santaland Diaries at Capital Stage • Through Dec. 31 Written by best-selling author David Sedaris, The Santaland Diaries (adapted here by Joe Mantello and directed by Shannon Mahoney) takes a hilarious and sarcastic look at what it’s like to work as an elf at a Macy’s department store during the holidays in New York City. Hint: it’s terribly miserable, and what’s best about this tale is that this is based on a true story. Yes, Sedaris actually was an elf once, for a brief time. This mostly one-man play starring the brilliant local actor Benjamin T. Ismail is currently running at Capital Stage through Dec. 31. Do yourself a favor and go. Bring friends, bring family, just don’t bring kids, as this production is geared toward adults. Ticket prices vary per day and time of the performance (they range from $33–$42) and are available online at Capstage.org or by calling the box office at (916) 995-5464. Capital Stage is located at 2215 J St. in downtown Sacramento.

TASTE

Celebrate the New Year with a 10-Course Tasting Menu by Chef Michael Thiemann at Mother Dec. 31

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30 pm at the Crest Theatre

Booker T Jones Friday, January 20th at 7:30 PM at the Crest Theatre GET TICKETS AT SBLENTERTAINMENT.COM 12

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Ever since they opened their doors in 2014, Mother has consistently been one of the most exciting restaurants in Sacramento. Their passion for using seasonal, regional produce paired with their whimsical rotating menu themes, all while using no meat (yeah, you read that right, no meat), has made Mother the sort of place where not only local foodies, but even the best chefs in the region want to eat (no joke, their infamous chili verde dish even landed on the cover of Sactown Magazine’s “Where the Chefs Eat” issue in December 2014). On New Year's Eve, Mother is bringing back their popular “Chefs 10” tasting menu—10 dishes for just $50 per person— curated by owner and chef Michael Thiemann. There will be two seatings, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and space is very limited so you’ll want to make reservations ahead of time. A few of the courses will include: Preserved Broccolini, Buffalo Milk Burrata, Kale Furikake; Grilled Beetroot, Chia Seed Brittle, Lavender; Cauliflower Slow-Cooked in Ghee, Red Lentil Dal, Fried Bread, Black Mustard Yogurt; Spaghetti with Trumpet Mushrooms, Freezer Peas, Duck Yolk, Smoked Black Pepper; and a bunch of other ridiculously amazing sounding dishes. Learn more at Mothersacramento. com, Facebook.com/mothersacramento or by calling (916) 594-9812. Mother is located at 1023 K St. Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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4 5

HEAR

Dance Yourself Clean! 17 Sacramento-Area NYE Parties to Welcome In 2017

Good riddance, 2016! Sure, there were some pretty awesome things that happened this year, but all we can seem to think about are the countless celebrity deaths and the seemingly endless, ugly-as-allhell election cycle. So let’s say goodbye to this year and just party our faces off one last time, OK? In order to help you do so, we’ve compiled 17 Sacramento-area New Year's Eve parties for you, our beloved readers. Be sure to plan ahead, as many of these events will likely sell out. Be safe, be smart and of course, please don’t drink and drive. Here’s to a clean slate in 2017!

1 Put your metal horns up at Ac e of S pa d e s as they host four hard rock acts. Y&T headlines with support from Evolution Eden, SJ Syndicate and Anarchy Lace. All ages, 7 p.m., $35 in advance, $40 day of show. 1417 R St.

Downtown Sacramento’s legendary blues and rock venue To r ch C l ub is hosting two excellent groups, Mind X and the City of Trees Brass Band. This shindig kicks off at 9 p.m. and the cover will set you back $25. 904 15th St.

the Center fo r t h e A r t s when the

Slide into 2017 at

master of the slide guitar and his band, Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings, rock the foothills. Nevada City locals The Rayos open up the show. Tickets start at $37 for dance floor general admission and the party starts at 9 p.m. 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley.

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4 The region’s premier comedy club, Pu n ch L i n e , is the place to be if you want to laugh off 2016. Two shows, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., with each featuring different comics like Kiry Shabazz, Michael Patten, Daniel Humbarger, Emma Haney, Ngaio Bealum, DJ Sandhu and many others. Both shows are 18-and-over, tickets start at $20 in advance. 2100 Arden Way #225.

The historic C r e s t Th e at r e will host two amazing groups, the Jackie Greene Band and The Mother Hips, for what is sure to be a night to remember. All ages are welcome, doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $80. 1013 K St.

The beloved Second Saturday block party known as THIS returns for a New Year’s Eve mega-party dubbed the Midtown Mountain Get Down with live music from Miami Horror and support from Le Youth, Dusty Brown, MyKill and tons of other legit DJs. It all goes down at the M A RR S B u i l d i n g , 1050 20th St. 18-plus, tickets start at $50 in advance.

One of Sac’s favorite nightclubs, H a r l ow ’ s , is hosting a “yacht rock explosion” for their NYE party, featuring none other than the Bay Area purveyors of smooth, Mustache Harbor. Doors at 9 p.m., $30 in advance, 21-plus. 2708 J St.

The popular Midtown watering hole H i ghwat e r is throwing a rager with DJ Blue and Great Paid with Travis A. Expect a photo booth (so much cooler than selfies!) and a midnight balloon drop. 21-and-over, 10 p.m. 1910 Q St.

Folsom’s Historic District will be jumping to the sounds of Sacramento-based funk/rock/R&B outfit Soul Heir as they turn things up at Pow e r hous e . Also on the bill is DJ Alazzawi. 8 p.m., 21-plus, $20 in advance. 614 Sutter St.

Three of the area’s top DJs are getting together for an epic dance party at Fox a n d G oos e . A measly $10 cover gets you into DJ Larry, MC Ham and DJ Wokstar’s annual NYE bash. Expect soul, funk, reggae, disco, Afro-Latin and so much more. 9 p.m. start time, 21-plus. 1001 R St.

Looking for more of a family friendly, daytime option?

C r ock e r A r t M us eum is once again throwing their highly anticipated Noon Year’s Eve party with live music, dance performances and festive art activities. All ages welcome and the museum is free for everyone from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 216 O St.

2016 sure gave us the blues. Speaking of, you can get your groove on this NYE with two great local blues bands at the L i o n s

G at e H o t e l B a l l r oom

when Jim Holmes Presents throws their fourth Annual Gala Event featuring Todd Morgan and the Emblems and Val Starr and the Blues Rocket. Doors at 8 p.m., $30 in advance, $40 at the event. 3410 Westover St., McClellan Park.

DJ Danny Mijangos and DJ Kwix will bring the dance jams

to K Street on D i s t r i c t 3 0 ’s insane sound system. Free with RSVP before 11 p.m.! Doors open at 10 p.m., 21-plus. 1022 K St.

If you’re looking for less of an all-out party vibe, reserve seats ASAP for the H o r n b l ow e r ’ s

New Year’s Eve River Cruise on the Sacramento River.

This one-hour cruise will offer great views of the Sky Spectacular fireworks show and will take you under the Tower Bridge and I Street Bridge with drinks, food and chill background music on board. 8:30 p.m., all ages welcome, tickets vary in price. 1206 Front St.

be popping with

Looking for some funky, jam-y dance music to groove away 2016? Hit up B a r 101 to see local band Drunken Kung Fu light up the dance floor. 9:30 p.m., no cover, 21-and-over. 101 Main St., Roseville.

their excellent new release Past Lives at a special NYE installment of one of Sacramento’s longest running indie-rock dance parties, Lipstick! DJs Roger Carpio and Adam Jay will also be spinning jams. 9 p.m., 21-plus, $8 in advance. 1901 10th St.

The champagne will be flowing as 107.9 The End hosts a sureto-be epic party at Th e Pa r k U lt r a Lou n g e with jams all night from Sacramento veteran DJ Peeti-V. 9 p.m., 21-plus, $50 early bird tickets. 1116 15th St.

Old Ironsides

is sure to

Doombird’s album release show for

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Outside the 9-to-5

Weekender: “Off the Grid” words & photos Ellen Baker

If you live in Sacramento, you know that “the grid” is kind of our thing. All the trendiest bars, clubs, coffee shops and wine bars are “on the grid” while Sacramento’s “off the grid” areas (such as Rancho Cordova and Folsom) are steadily growing as well. But what if I actually want to get “off the grid?” I’m talking no coffee shops, no cell service, no pollution. And, what if I want to do this in the dead of winter with the comforts of a home? Is that too much to ask? I’m here to tell you it’s not. Luckily the dead of winter in California consists of 60-degree days with a slight chance of rain rather than heavy snows along with blistering temperatures that freeze your beard when you step outside. We’re “lucky to live in California.” In a lush, dark green forest there lies a not-so-well-known town to escape the busy-bee feeling of the big city. Dubbed “The Gateway to the Redwoods,” Willits is a small town just inland of Mendocino. I can’t say much of the character of the town as I traveled to Willits to escape the city, but I can tell you it is the hometown of Seabiscuit. Thanks to Airbnb, you can pretty much take a vacation anywhere in the world now. Even places you have never heard of. Oh, and you can rent tree houses too—it’s on my list. My family and I found a homestead in Willits available on Airbnb, and it just so happened to be nestled on 388 acres of land. When we arrived in the town of Willits, the directions provided informed us to “turn right when you see a church, follow the road until you see a bridge then turn right to follow a windy dirt road that will eventually go through a locked gate.” Turns out, these were the directions for the homeowner’s driveway. After about 20 minutes on the windy dirt road, we arrived at the homestead. A beautiful house surrounded by streams, forests and wild animals. This modern homestead relies on hydropower; flowing water for clean, sustainable electricity. The fireplace heats the entire home, and up the hill sits large containers catching rainwater which in turn flows back down the mountain to the house. Three ponds surround the house that are available to fish in year-round or swim in during the summer, and the oldest stove I have ever seen in my life resides in the kitchen. The microwave has a sign that reads, “Only use microwave for last resort. The power will likely go out.” We didn’t touch the microwave.

Sue Slaght, Dave Slaght and Kim Baker enjoy the greenery surrounding the homestead.

Sue and Dave Slaght attempt to read a map and soon after give up

Ryan Lentz plays catch in the front yard

Kyle Lockhart plays catch in the front yard

So what is one to do off the grid without cell service and WiFi? If you think this trip sounds boring, perhaps it’s not for you. If you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city but you don’t want to deal with hotels or winter camping, this, I believe, is the absolute best option. Here are a few activities my family and I took part in on our homestead weekend. Depending on where you choose to stay, there are surely many other options. 1) Get in the spa, look up and enjoy nature’s night light, the Milky Way. Is anything more healing than that?! 2) Jam sessions. My family and I sure as hell don’t make music professionally, but we can break out a jam session like no one’s ever heard (or possibly ever wants to hear). Bust out your old guitar, keyboard or egg shakers and get those vocal chords flowing.

3) If you like to crochet, knit, sew or watch your cat play with the yarn, bring all the goodies. 4) Coloring books are supposed to lower stress levels and create focus. I find they give me anxiety and make my hands tired, but whatever floats your boat. 5) Nap. 6) If you find a place with 388 acres like we did, hike. Go out and get lost on all the trails. No need for a GPS or map. Just start walking. 7) Fish in the pond, stream, ocean or lake. 8) Play cards. 9) Cook the good old fashioned way: without a microwave. 10) Test your fire-building skills to keep the house warm.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dave Slaght shows the way around a fallen tree Compared to my usual outings, this one felt more like a weekend at the spa or meditation center; wake up to the subtle sound of birds chirping near the pond, make a fresh cup of coffee and hit the spa for one of the best mornings you’ve had in a while.

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

The Circle of Laughs Comedian and Actor Brian Posehn Returns to His Sacramento Stand-Up Roots Words Justin Cox photo Lorenzo Hodges

ix months before Brian Posehn turned 21, he rang Laughs Unlimited in Old Sacramento to ask how he should go about getting into stand-up comedy. They told him he needed to be of drinking age, so he spent the next half-year preparing a five-minute set. They suggested the open mic at the old Metro Bar and Grill next to The Crest. “The week I turned 21 I went on stage my first time and completely destroyed,” Posehn told Submerge during a recent phone interview. “And then I went on the week after at the same open mic and tried all new material. I ate it so hard, but still loved it.” Those Sacramento open mics laid the first bricks on a path toward a sprawling career that led Posehn at first to San Francisco and later to Los Angeles. If you don’t know him by name, it’s likely you recognize him, whether it be from The Sarah Silverman Program, Rob Zombie’s horror movies or one of the dozens of sitcoms and shows he’s guested on. Posehn was raised in Sonoma, but moved to Sacramento when he was 17 to attend American River College and live with his grandpa. The initial plan was to become a rock journalist or a DJ, but his foray into stand-up comedy rerouted that course. He’s written and acted for dozens of shows and movies, recorded comedy albums, written comic books, hosts a podcast and is currently authoring a book about his life and career. On Jan. 5–7, he’ll circle back to Sacramento for a string of shows at the Punch Line. “I usually wind up seeing people I haven’t seen in 20 years,” he said of the homecoming. “There are people I worked with at the Tower Records up in Citrus Heights that still live up here and I’ll hang out with some of those dudes.” Posehn has also stacked the shows with some of his favorite locals, including Ngaio Bealum, a local comedian who writes a popular weed column for Sacramento News & Review and is active in the marijuana-legalization movement.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

When did the stand-up comedy segue into an acting career? In ‘94 I moved to L.A. with the intention of getting writing jobs. I didn’t move there to act at all. I wanted to write sketch comedy and late night stuff. It must be so frustrating to anybody who wants to act, but I just happened to do a set in L.A. and a casting woman saw me and brought me in the very next day to audition for my first sitcom and I got it. It was a show called Empty Nest that’s gone forever. That was the first thing I did and it was such a fluke. When you got on board with Mr. Show, could you tell it was something special? Absolutely. I knew David Cross first through San Francisco because he was coming up to the city a lot. Through David I met Bob [Odenkirk]. They were just writing these hilarious sketches and they’d go and perform them at night. By the time it turned into Mr. Show, I was such a fan of those two guys. The first four episodes of season one I acted in, but they wrote all of those by themselves. By the time I was hired as a writer I already knew it was going to be the ‘90s generation’s SCTV. You were in episodes of Friends and Seinfeld. Which show is better? Which one did I have a better experience with or which one makes me laugh? Well, actually, it would be the same! I had a better experience with Seinfeld—and the show is better. That said, I was happy to be a part of Friends and it did help at the time and got me other work. Just my sensibility was more Seinfeld made me laugh and still does.

You performed at the Insane Clown Posse’s Gathering of the Juggalos. How was that? I was working at Metalocalypse with a good buddy of mine, Brendon Small, the head writer of the show, and I got a text from my agent asking if I’ve ever heard of the Gathering of the Juggalos. I’m like, “Yeah, yeah I have.” He told me what the money was and I walked back into the writing room and said to Brendon, “Dude, I just got asked to do the Gathering of the Juggalos and the money is this.” “I’m super lucky that He goes, “You gotta do it!” I I’ve been able to carve a probably would have done it for career out of doing all of one-third of the money just for these things that I love. the experience. It was crazy. Performing at There’s not one thing I four in the morning in a field do that I don’t want to out in the middle of nowhere to do. I have fun at all of people wearing face paint and it—voiceovers, writing baggy clothing. There was blood coming books, being in on the stage because they had horror films, telling fart backyard wrestling before. We jokes into a microphone.” were being taken around in a golf cart by a clown. I think his –Brian Posehn on his name was Fartso the Clown or multifaceted career Yukko the Clown. You’d think it in entertainment. would have stuck with me.

When did the love for metal music start? KISS was the first band that I obsessed over. I wasn’t just a casual fan of anything. Whether it’s movies or music or comic books. I would just get into something and completely obsess over it. In the late ‘70s I got into Van Halen and Black Sabbath and AC/DC and all of that stuff. I just sought out heavier and heavier music, and then in the early ‘80s, by the time I was in high school, bands like Iron Maiden and thrash metal was starting. I went from Iron Maiden to Metallica and here I am as a 50-year-old man still into the same music I’ve liked since I was a kid. What album did you latch onto early that’s still just as strong? Oh, there are a lot of them. If I had to pick, it’d probably Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast and then Metallica’s Ride the Lighting. Those are the ones I loved the most. How did the Rob Zombie connection happen? I’ve known Chris Hardwick since he was like 19 I think. I met him at UCLA for a comic book thing. He was in the first Rob Zombie movie House of a Thousand Corpses and I was a little jealous so I said to Chris, “How the fuck?” He said, “Oh I know Rob. He’s a cool guy. You should meet him.” I was like, “All right! Let’s make that happen.” I went to a party at Rob’s and talked SubmergeMag.com

to him and he said, “You’re really funny on Everybody Loves Raymond,” and I’m like, “Rob Zombie watches Everybody Loves Raymond?” That was kind of funny to me. Something about picturing him in those boots just sitting around watching Raymond. Through that we became friends and then he wrote me into The Devil’s Rejects. He asked, “Do you want to be a roadie and you get shot in the face?” I’m like, “Yeah man. Whatever you want me to do.” I was there for five days. I acted two days, got shot the third day and played dead the next two. It was a fun experience. 10 years later it’s still one of those things I’m most recognized for, among that group of horror fans and metalheads.

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Why do you keep your Twitter feed private? I don’t go on there to share jokes with people because I got kind of burnt out on the whole thing. Sorry to get negative, but that’s just how I feel at this point. I feel like it’s important to advertise myself, but other than that I kind of hate what a time suck it is. You’re a comedian, actor, writer, podcaster and more, while also closely associated with metal, nerd culture and horror movies. What drives you to so many pursuits and passions? I’m super lucky that I’ve been able to carve a career out of doing all of these things that I love. There’s not one thing I do that I don’t want to do. I have fun at all of it—voiceovers, writing coming books, being in horror films, telling fart jokes into a microphone. Not that I just tell fart jokes, though. I never went “Hey I’m Catch Brian Posehn live going to move to Jan. 5–7 at Punch Line L.A. and do 20 Sacramento, located at different things.” 2100 Arden Way. Shows I just moved start at 8 p.m. all three nights, with additional here to make a 10 p.m. shows on Friday living and that’s and Saturday. For tickets the way I still and more info check out look at it. Punchlinesac.com

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

NonGMOMG

Organically Delicious EASTsmf Words Niki Kangas photos Evan E. Duran

e all know that the heavy use of pesticides in our produce, which also sneaks its way into the processed foods we eat, can cause a host of health problems, including cancer. While some religiously steer clear of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and non-organic food, and find it hard to eat out without questioning what insidious chemicals they might be ingesting, most of us don’t have time to stand in grocery store aisles thoroughly perusing every nutrition label, and thoughtlessly toss whatevs into the cart. EASTsmf, a year-old restaurant on J and 32nd streets in East Sacramento, offers a well-executed, ever-changing menu— but they also offer a relaxing dining experience, paired with peace of mind. All of the food and drink served in this comfortable, casual space is organic and non-GMO. Additionally, most ingredients are sourced locally. Whether you’re a meat eater or vegan, all are welcome. Owned and operated by husband and wife team Rhonda and Tony Gruska, EASTsmf is the couple’s second organic restaurant endeavor. Monticello was located in Davis, a town that is known for its food conscientiousness, albeit while also housing notorious GMO-purveyors Monsanto. After a four-year tenure, they shuttered Monticello in mid-2015, but Rhonda and Tony didn’t give up, and learned from the experience. “Most people are aware that restaurants are a tough business, but that situation was pretty much untenable from the start for a number of reasons. It was such a beautiful space, but our investment was misplaced,” said Rhonda of Monticello’s closure. The lessons, besides downsizing their brick and mortar, included getting in where you fit in, and being in Sacramento, a hotbed for slow food, was the way to go. Beams Rhonda, “We love it here.”

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

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EASTsmf is located at 3260 J St. in Sacramento. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday–Friday from 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5 p.m–9 p.m., and for Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Find more info at Eastsmf.info.

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Although EASTsmf is by no means preachy, it is a dining establishment that is rooted in food politics and a philosophy of health and quality. “We don’t want to serve our customers anything we wouldn’t eat. That’s why organic is so important to us, and if it’s not organic, we make sure it’s non-GMO. Genetically engineered ingredients are really insidious because, unlike other developed countries in the world, we have no labeling laws. Americans are eating GMOs in the form of oils, margarines, sugars derived from sugar beets or corn, and a myriad of fillers and emulsifiers. It’s a lot of work figuring out what’s safe to eat in the U.S. because our food system is controlled by the same people who profit from it,” explains Rhonda. “Local, seasonal organic vegetables make up such a large part of our menu, so our farmers bringing in something new means the menu is going to change. Tony’s inspiration for a new dish is driven by what our farmers have that particular week.” Photographer Evan Duran and I visited EASTsmf for dinner, and after passing through its outdoor patio, we entered into a simply decorated, tranquil space. Louis

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“We don’t want to serve our customers anything we wouldn’t eat. That’s why organic is so important to us, and if it’s not organic, we make sure it’s non-GMO.” —EASTsmf co-owner Rhonda Gruska on the philosophy behind the restaurant’s menu.

Armstrong’s crooning, slow swing set the mood. Curated art and photography don the mint green walls and a small, open kitchen in the corner is wrapped with a counter upon which rest a cornucopia of flowers and gourds. A rooster statue sits atop and the restaurant has a very Petaluma feel. The menu is categorized into starters and mains, and even the beer and wine are organic. The soup of the day is always vegan and gluten-free. After some deliberation, we ordered the vegan wild mushroom risotto, the butternut squash soup, the cheese plate, the pan-roasted trout and the fresh pasta. The cheese plate and soup arrived first. Sliced persimmons, Point Reyes Toma, Vella dry jack, Point Reyes blue cheese and a peach preserve made in East Sacramento by Nina at Old World Farm comprised the cheese plate that evening. The butternut squash soup was thick, creamy and savory, and topped with shredded mint leaves. When the mains arrived, Evan remarked, “This is the best risotto I’ve ever had.” The wild mushroom risotto was loaded with rich saffron, delicious wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic and topped with fresh parsley. Similarly, I found the pan-roasted trout to be the most beautifully plated and perfectly executed fish dish I’d ever sunk my eager teeth into. Undeniably fresh as a daisy, the trout was seared, crispy skin-on and laid on a bed of roasted potatoes and arugula with a blanket of roasted red beets and thinly sliced radishes. But best of all was the fresh pasta. On this day, it was a pappardelle dish with chunks of roasted butternut, sautéed farm greens, sage brown butter, caramelized onions and parmesan. It was savory, creamy, buttery, al dente and unforgettable. Whatever caused Rhonda and Tony to close the doors of Monticello, EASTsmf deserves to succeed with its healthy, topnotch culinary offerings in a homey setting, situated in a fairly central location that tends to welcome similar concepts. And it deserves your attention. “We wish we had come directly to Sacramento in 2008 after our two-year stint as a pop-up in Winters, but that’s hindsight for you,” reflects Rhonda. “We’re currently doing our best to live every day in the present, and while restaurants are hard, especially when you take the extra steps we do as far as sourcing and preparing everything from scratch, we’re very happy. This is a very pleasant place to work and live.”

Tony gained an appetite for cooking as a child, inspired by his Polish grandfather. “There were crocks of sauerkraut fermenting in the basement and freshly ground horseradish and beets in the refrigerator. On weekends, he took me along to visit the local butcher and we’d always stop by the bakery for Polish cheesecake. The first full meal I cooked on my own was at age eight. I was cooking regularly from that point on, and it’s no surprise to me that I ended up in this profession, as cooking and food have such a strong association with my beloved grandfather.” Also a foodie at heart, Rhonda met Tony in college working at the Segundo dining hall at UC Davis. “Tony was back of the house and I was front of the house. We’ve pretty much had that same dynamic going on ever since. After college, I went into politics, while Tony started a catering business. It was the perfect combination. My job involved a lot of event planning and fundraising and Tony handled making sure we always had great food,” recounts Rhonda.

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Hero With a Thousand Faces

Writer/musician Avery Write talks new novel and companion hip-hop album Words Andrew C. Russell • photo kevin fiscus

he arc of the hero’s journey often has a foundation in real life. A call to adventure interrupts the proceedings of everyday existence, and we are launched into new changes, conflicts or creative undertakings that define the road ahead, marking us as entirely new individuals by journey’s end. Local rapper-turned-novelist Avery Write knows this journey well. Around this time last month, he was called to be the opening act for Lupe Fiasco (under the stage name Aerial) on the same day his first book was published. For him, the road ahead will be filled with excitement and challenges alike, but it took a good degree of conflict to push him this far—for most of his life Write has battled with depression. Write’s book, titled Heroic, is a young adult novel that seeks to take on this challenge in young people’s lives; it depicts a half-feudal, half-futuristic world in which heroism itself has been outlawed, sadistic gangs run rampant and young people risk harm to their friends and loved ones for daring to stand up against the order of things and do a good deed. Write makes a point of showing the inner turmoil of these characters in as realistic a light as possible, acknowledging that sometimes, your emotions will best you, and your undertakings won’t always end in triumph. Heroic is part of a planned multimedia project of three books and three albums, each complementing the other with unique insights into the characters. Although the idea has been swirling around in one form or another in Write’s mind for years, it took a recent introduction to the Hamilton soundtrack to open up new possibilities; one month ago, at the Lupe Fiasco show in San Francisco, he introduced plot elements from the novel into his stage performance for the first time to a mesmerized audience. Though Write is always a few steps ahead when thinking about his art, it is well worth checking out his last album as Aerial, 2014’s Revivolution, a showcase for his preternatural flow and a signpost for the creative power yet to be unleashed now that he has combined his hip-hop craft with a love of the superhero mythos.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

The book depicts a world in which heroism has been outlawed. Can this be a parallel to the world we live in? Growing up, it’s really hard to do good things in a world where it’s easier to fall back into doing what the rest of the world does. Anyone who does a good thing has a lot more detractors than they would supporters. That’s the way the world is. The world is built upon an idea of normalcy. People who are trying to do good things are often looked at as crazy—people are often telling them to not do things like that, that those are the kinds of things that get you killed, and it’s true. You look at some of the greatest heroes, like Martin Luther King; he died for doing the right things. There are family members, parents and friends that will literally try and stop you from doing good things so that they won’t lose you. That’s the feeling I wanted to bring into the world I created. There’s an interesting blend of dystopia, fantasy superhero and samurai mythology in the book. What influenced you growing up? I’m a big superhero nerd. Heroic is actually an acronym for Helping Everyone Reach Our Inner Character. Growing up, I feel like we connect with characters on the TV screen. For me it was Spider-Man or Captain America. I liked what they stood for— with great power comes great responsibility. The values that superheroes have are very important— they speak to a generation. While writing the book I watched both Amazing Spiderman movies with Andrew Garfield. I watched Samurai Champloo and Afro Samurai, which is a big inspiration for Heroic, because RZA did the whole soundtrack for that anime. I wanted to place a lot of values from those shows within Heroic.

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”The whole idea behind the book is that even the strongest people can have weak moments or be overpowered by their emotions. And my mission is for issues like depression to be brought into the light, so for the hero to go through things like that, and have those emotional lapses, I felt was really important.” – Avery Write on his recently published debut novel, Heroic. Has writing always been a part of your life? In middle school, I used to write poetry, but I wasn’t old enough to know that I could use poetry as an outlet. I knew of writing, but not as a release. I didn’t know it could be therapeutic. I didn’t start creating music until my senior year of high school. I didn’t have coping mechanisms when I started going through depression. That’s another thing kids need to be taught: how to cope with it, instead of dismissing it. Does conflict drive creativity for you? One thing that [Think and Grow Rich] taught me is that you don’t begin to grow unless you’re in a position where you have to. When you’re in your comfort zone, there’s no reason for you to do anything else except stay where you are. There’s a part where the author talks about an army that sailed to war against another country, but before they went into battle, they burned all their ships. The concept was “You have to win, or else there’s no going home.”

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How did you conceive the idea for Heroic? The whole idea behind the book is that even the strongest people can have weak moments or be overpowered by their emotions. And my mission is for issues like depression to be brought into the light, so for the hero to go through things like that, and have those emotional lapses, I felt was really important. The time in my life when I began writing was really hard, I’d just gotten out of a relationship, and I’d also gotten kicked out of the apartment I was living in. It was bad, but it was also a time of transformation. At the time I was reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which tells you how you can think yourself into and out of success. While all these terrible things were going on, reading this book put things into perspective—that things are happening for a reason. When I first had the idea, my first thought was, “Who do I think I am?” I didn’t know anyone that had written a book, I didn’t know how to go about it. It’s a pretty hard task to accomplish, and it seemed pretty frivolous at the time. I realized I’d almost thought myself out of success, so then I told myself there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t do it.

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How was your experience opening for Lupe Fiasco and performing parts of the Heroic project live? Lupe Fiasco is my favorite rapper of all time. I already had tickets to his show in Sacramento when they called me three weeks beforehand. I had to do rehearsals really fast. When I first got the opportunity, I questioned whether or not I should even do it, because as close as we are to finishing the album, I’d never performed any of those songs before; no one’s really even heard them because I’ve kept them so close to the chest. The book wasn’t even out yet. I was working two jobs and going to school, so there wasn’t a lot of time to be creative. Getting this show allowed me—it forced me—to become creative. Hamilton had been a big influence at that point, so I structured the show a lot like a play. My featured artists on the album were playing the characters, so they full-on took over a role. We got on stage and acted the story out while rapping or singing. When you do a hip-hop show, you usually gauge how well you’re doing based on how many hands are up or heads are nodding, but because we were doing a play almost, there wasn’t a lot of movement, but every eye was locked on to Avery Write’s Heroic us. I didn’t know what is available through to expect, but people Amazon.com or on would really react at the author’s website, Averywrite.org, where certain moments. It you’ll also find links was amazing. to his music as Aerial.

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music, comedy & misc. Calendar

dec. 19 – Jan. 2 submergemag.com/calendar

12.19 Monday

Cafe Colonial In Her Own Words, Mariner, Fourth and Long, Misha Allure, Hard Feelings, City Mural, 6:30 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. Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond, 7:30 p.m. Old Ironsides Heath Williamson & Friends, 5:30 p.m. Press Club Monday Vibes: MC Ham, Jonah, Margs, Eric, 9 p.m.

12.20 Tuesday

Beatnik Studios Voices of Peace: A Vox Christmas, 7 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Dive Bar Mud Folk, 9 p.m. Kupros Craft House Open Mic, 8 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Beginning Bluegrass Club, 6:30 p.m. Oak Park Brewing Company Open Mic, 7 p.m. Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Open Mic Night, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Rock On! Live Band Karaoke, 8:30 p.m. Press Club Bone Marrow, Bino Prassa, DJ Carnierobber, DJ Katharos, 8 p.m. Torch Club Richard March, 5:30 p.m.; Steven Menconi, 8 p.m.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

12.21 Wednesday

Bar 101 Open Mic, 7:30 p.m. Blue Lamp The World Over, Paranova, 8 p.m. Club Car The Double Shots, 7:30 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m. Fox & Goose All Vinyl Wednesdays w/ DJ AAKnuff, 8 p.m. Golden Bear My Cousin Vinny & Mike Diamond, 10 p.m. Harlow’s Soul 4 The Season: Fred Ross (of Tower of Power), Lydia Pense (of Cold Blood), Paula Harris, Dana Moret, 5:30 p.m. Harris Center for the Arts El Dorado Musical Theatre High Voltage Presents: Holiday Celebration, 7 p.m. Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m. Mix DJ Scene, DJ Gabe Xavier, 9 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Acoustic Open Mic, 6 p.m. Old Ironsides Open Mic, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub 98 Rock’s Local Licks Live w/ Another Damn Disappointment, Sacto Storytellers, 8 p.m. Shine Speak Out! Sacramento Open Mic, 8 p.m. St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Sacramento Master Singers, 7 p.m. Starlite Lounge Riot Craig, Muze, Brutha Smith, Johnnay Lasha, Iko, Bam Bam, Rouge the Mysfyt and more, 8 p.m. Torch Club SingerSongwriter Showcase In the Round, 5:30 p.m.; Peter Petty’s Double P Revue, 9 p.m.

12.22 thursday

Bar 101 Karaoke, 7:30 p.m. Blue Lamp Lil Debbie, Reb the Ruler, DJ Eddie Z, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 10 p.m.

Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Alex Walker, 8 p.m. Harlow’s Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice: Will Ackerman, Barbara Higbie, Alex de Grassi, 7:30 p.m. Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Beau Wilding, 7 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Adam Donald, 9:30 p.m. Shine Sac’s Coolest Jazz Jam, 8 p.m. Starlite Lounge Warm Up the Streets Clothing Drive: Riot Craig, IKO, Brutha Smith, Muze, Johnny Lasha, Rouge tha Mysfyt, Bam Bam and More, 8 p.m. Torch Club Mind X, 5:30 p.m.; Matt Rainey & The Dippin Sauce, 9 p.m.

12.23 friday

Ace of Spades Too Short, Mistah Fab, K-Ottic, Tent City, Andrew and AJ, Twitch, 6:30 p.m. Bar 101 Spare Parts, 9:30 p.m. Berryessa Brewing Co. Achilles Wheel Trio, 5 p.m. Blue Lamp VIP w/ Dig, Natomas Slimm (Album Release) Black Sky Ent, The Heathen, C2DAJ, Serg Dig, Yung Budd, Mi$tuh G, 9 p.m. Capitol Garage Fyah Fridays w/ DJ Jaytwo, 10 p.m. Crest Theatre David Archuleta, Nathan Pacheco, 6:30 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon Thunder Cover, 10 p.m. Fox & Goose The Stummies, Jessica Malone, Santa Elvis, 9 p.m. Golden Bear DJ CrookOne, 10 p.m. Gold Country Lanes (Sutter Creek) C.T. Locke: DJ, Sing & Dance, 6:30 p.m.

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Harlow’s The Funky 16s, 8 p.m. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe The Devil Makes Three, 8 p.m. Kupros Craft House Jane Thompson Trio, 9:30 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Caliscope, Worth Goat, 8 p.m. Mix Ugly Christmas Sweater Party w/ DJ Slick D, 9 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Open Mic Night, 6 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Bad Santa Bash w/ Spazmatics, 10 p.m. Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Rebel Yell, 9:30 p.m. Shine Tony Glaser, Beau James Wilding, 8 p.m. Starlite Lounge Brutha Smith, Alpha As Fuck, HY Loco, Remix Law, Abernasty and More, 8 p.m. Torch Club The Hucklebucks, 5:30 p.m.; Mr. December, 9 p.m.

Press Club Loaves and Fishes Benefit w/ Jason Welt, Danny Secretion, Andrew Harrison and More, 8 p.m.

12.27 Tuesday

Blue Lamp Slim 400, 9 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Kupros Craft House Open Mic, 8 p.m. Old Ironsides Karaoke, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Open Mic Night, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Rock On! Live Band Karaoke, 8:30 p.m. Torch Club Matt Rainey, 4 p.m.; Michael Ray, 8 p.m.

Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 10 p.m. Club Car Songwriters Showcase, 8 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Dive Bar Dueling Pianos, 9 p.m. Fox & Goose Chicken & Dumpling, 8 p.m. Goldfield Hellbound Glory, 8 p.m. Louie’s Cocktail Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Straight Shooter, 9:30 p.m. Press Club 50 Watt Heavy, Radio Orangevale, Slattern V, 8 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Buck Ford, 8 p.m. Shine Sac’s Coolest Jazz Jam, 8 p.m. Torch Club Mind X, 5:30 p.m.; Island of Black & White, 9 p.m.

12.28 12.30 12.24 wednesday

Saturday

Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Kevin Seconds, Alyson Seconds, David Houston and More, 8 p.m. Powerhouse Pub X-Mas Eve Jingle Jam, 10 p.m. Red Hawk Casino The Corduroys, 10 p.m.

12.25 sunday

Stoney’s Christmas Night Dance Party!, 8 p.m.

12.26 monday

Blue Lamp The Spotlight: Open Mic, 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. Luna’s Cafe Nebraska Mondays hosted by Ross Hammond, 7:30 p.m. Old Ironsides Heath Williamson & Friends, 5:30 p.m.

Bar 101 Open Mic, 7:30 p.m. Club Car The Double Shots, 7:30 p.m. Crest Theatre WAR, Joy and Madness, 7 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m. Fox & Goose All Vinyl Wednesdays w/ DJ AAKnuff, 8 p.m. Golden 1 Center TransSiberian Orchestra, 3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. Golden Bear DJ Nocturnal, 10 p.m. Laughs Unlimited Karaoke, 8 p.m. MontBleu Resort Casino Beats Antique, 7 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Acoustic Open Mic, 6 p.m. Old Ironsides Open Mic, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub 98 Rock’s Local Licks Live, 8 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Ranell Carpenter, 8 p.m. Torch Club SingerSongwriter Showcase In the Round, 5:30 p.m.; Massive Delicious, The Mindful, 8 p.m.

12.29 Thursday

Bar 101 Karaoke, 7:30 p.m. The Boardwalk AWELLS, Anakin, WNTRS, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Ace of Spades Holiday Hangover Party feat. Cover Me Badd, 6 p.m. Bar 101 Scotty Vox, 9:30 p.m. Berryessa Brewing Co. Acoustically Speaking, 3 p.m. Blue Lamp Young Taxx Free, Tutthy Johnson Jr., Charlie Muscle, Charleston George, Boney-Jay, Jerren Marchon White Sr., Ase Royal, Ryan Davis, The Lady MIXX, Madison Lerreá, Keel Ali, Quincy Black, The Real Skrill, Scrilla James and More, 8 p.m. The Boardwalk Brotha Lynch Hung, Kung Fu Vampire, 7 p.m. Cache Creek Casino Pablo Cruise, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Fyah Fridays w/ DJ Jaytwo, 10 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon Skid Roses, 10 p.m. Fox & Goose Rockafellas, Groundwave, 9 p.m. Golden Bear DJ CrookOne, 10 p.m. Gold Country Lanes (Sutter Creek) C.T. Locke: DJ, Sing & Dance, 6:30 p.m. Harlow’s Daisy Spot, The Proles, Pinnacles, 8 p.m. Kupros Craft House Harley White Jr Trio, 9:30 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Open Mic Night, 6 p.m.

Old Ironsides Loose Engines, The Californios, 8 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Thunder Cover, 10 p.m. Press Club DJ Rue, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino Decades, 9:30 p.m. Shine Instagon, Simpl3jack, Short Trip, 8 p.m. Torch Club Pailer & Fratis, 5:30 p.m.; Big Earl & The Cryin Shame, 9 p.m.

12.31 Saturday

Ace of Spades Y&T, Evolution Eden, SJ Syndicate, Anarchy Lace, 7 p.m. B-Side DJ CrookOne & Satapana, 9 p.m. Bar 101 Drunken Kung Fu, 9:30 p.m. Capitol Garage Feel Good Saturday’s w/ DJ Epik, 10 p.m. Center for the Arts Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings, The Rayos, 9 p.m. Crest Theatre Jackie Greene Band, The Mother Hips, 7:30 p.m. Crocker Art Museum Noon Years Eve Party, 10 a.m. Distillery Karaoke, 9 p.m. District 30 DJ Danny Mijangos, DJ Kwix, 10 p.m. Double Nickel Smokehouse (Elk Grove) DJ Rip 1, 9 p.m. El Dorado Saloon The Corduroys, 10 p.m. Fox & Goose DJ Larry, MC Ham, DJ Wokstar, 9 p.m. Harlow’s Mustache Harbor: Yacht Rock Explosion, 9 p.m. Highwater DJ Blue, Great Paid, Travis A., 9 p.m. KBAR Z Rokk, 9 p.m. Laughs Unlimited Four Barrel, 10 p.m. Lions Gate Hotel Val Starr and the Blues Rocket, Todd Morgan and the Emblems, 8 p.m. MARRS Building THIS Midtown Mountain Get Down w/ Miami Horror, Le Youth, Dusty Brown, MyKill and More, 7 p.m. McClellan Conference Center DJ Magic Mel, Reese Roundtree, 8 p.m. Mix DJ Eddie Edul, 9 p.m. Nicholson’s MusiCafe Free Ukulele Class, 1 p.m.

continued on page 26 SubmergeMag.com

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

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oVer

saturday

feB 19 wednesday

Mar 1 &

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Mike waTT + The MissingMen Toys ThaT kill

friday

Mar 3

o l d i r o n s i d e s • 19 0 1 1 0 th s t r e e t • s a c r a M e n t o • 2 1 & o V e r • 8 : 0 0 p M

g. love & sPecial sauce Harlow’s

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2708

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street

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Mar 19 •

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8:00pM

wednesday 8:00pM

yonDer MounTain sTring BanD Harlow’s

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all TickeTs availaBle aT: aBsTracTPresenTs.coM & evenTBriTe.coM TickeTs for harlow’s shows also availaBle aT harlows.coM TickeTs for Blue laMP shows also BluelaMPsacraMenTo.coM ticketS for ace of SpadeS alSo available at aceofSpadeSSac.com & 916.443.9202

1.01 Sunday

Cache Creek Casino Harry S: The Ultimate Tribute to Elvis, 4 p.m. Capitol Garage Karaoke w/ Jeff Jenkins, 9 p.m. Distillery Karaoke, 8 p.m. Press Club Sunday Night Soul Party w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m. Torch Club Hangover Party Blues Jam, 3 p.m.

1.02 monday

sunday

claP your hanDs say yeah

Harlow’s

Old Ironsides Lipstick! w/ Doombird (Album Release), Roger Carpio, Adam Jay, 9 p.m. The Park Ultra Lounge DJ Peeti-V, 9 p.m. Pine Cove Karaoke, 9 p.m. Powerhouse Pub Soul Heir, DJ Alazzawi, 8 p.m. Press Club DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9 p.m. Red Hawk Casino The Wiz Kid, 10 p.m. Stoney’s 10th Annual NYE Bash, 7 p.m. Thunder Valley Casino Resort Kool & the Gang, 7:30 & 10:30 p.m. Torch Club The Stuff, 5:30 p.m.; Mind X, City of Trees Brass Band, 9 p.m.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Comedy Capital Stage Katie Rubin’s $!@# Christmas (But Gently And With Love), Dec. 31, 7 p.m. Laughs Unlimited Best of Open Mic Showcase, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. Smile Out Loud Presented by Curtis Newingham feat. Matt Broome, Kristen Frisk, Alfonso Portela, Dec. 22, 8 p.m.

Happy Ha Ha Ha-lidays w/ Carlos Rodriguez, Michael Calvin Jr., Kelvin Kumar, Dec. 23 - 24, Fri., 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Sat., 7 p.m. D’Sean Ross feat. Tristan Johnson, Dec. 30, 8 & 10:30 p.m. New Years Eve Comedy Special w/ D’Sean Ross, Tristan Johnson, Curtis Newingham, Dec. 31, 6 & 8:30 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Open Mic Comedy Hosted by Jaime Fernandez, every Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Oak Park Brewing Company Off the Grid Standup Comedy hosted by Dorian Foster, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. Punch Line Holiday Comedy Show w/ Mike E. Winfield, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Keith Lowell Jensen & Johnny Taylor, Dec. 22 - 23, Thurs., 8 p.m.; Fri., 8 & 10 p.m. Sacramento Comedy Showcase, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. Doug Benson, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. Emo Philips, John Ross, Robert Berry, Dec. 30, 8 & 10 p.m. 2016’s Last Laughs w/ Michael Patten, Mary Van Note, Daniel Humbarger, Kiry Shabazz, Emma Haney, Michael Cella, John Ross and More, Dec. 31, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Sacramento Comedy Spot Open Mic, Sunday’s and Monday’s, 8 p.m. Improv Lab, Harold Night & Gordon Teams, Wednesday’s, 7 - 10 p.m. Cage Match & Improv Jam, Thursday’s, 8 - 10 p.m. Anti-Cooperation League, Saturday’s, 9 p.m. Tommy T’s Earthquake, Dec. 30 - 31, Fri., 7:30 & 9:45 p.m.; Sat., 7 & 9:45 p.m. Misc. 20th Street (Between J and K) Midtown Farmers Market, every Saturday, 8 a.m. B Street Theatre Mainstage Series: A Christmas Carol, Through Dec. 31 Family Series: Robin Hood, Through Dec. 24 Blue Cue Bar Bingo, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m. The Boxing Donkey Trivia Night, every Tuesday, 8 p.m. Capitol Garage Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m.

Capital Stage The Santaland Diaries, Through Dec. 31 Community Center Theater Sacramento Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker, Dec. 22 - 23 Crest Theatre Film Screening: White Christmas, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. Film Screening: The Muppet Christmas Carol, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. Film Screening: It’s A Wonderful Life, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. Film Screening: Gremlins, Dec. 22, 7 p.m. Henry Rollins, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. Crocker Art Museum “The Sound of Music” Holiday Event, Dec. 29, 1:30 & 6 p.m. Claire Falkenstein: Beyond Sculpture, Now through Dec. 31 Highest Heaven: Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Art from the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection, Now through Jan 22, ‘17 Davis Musical Theatre Co. Performing Arts Center New Year’s Eve Gala: 42nd Street, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Fox & Goose Pub Quiz, Tuesday’s, 7 p.m. Fruitridge Community Center Natalia Johnson Conservatory of Dance Presents: Nutcracker in Oak Park, Dec. 22 - 24 Harris Center for the Arts Ballet Folklorico de Sacramento: Posada Navidena, Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m. Historic Old Folsom Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m. Kupros Craft House Trivia with Triviology 101, Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Luna’s Cafe Poetry Unplugged, every Thursday, 8 p.m. Midtown BarFly Salsa Lessons, every Wednesday, 8 p.m. Oak Park Brewing Co. Trivia Night, every Sunday, 8 p.m. Pine Cove Trivia Night, Wednesday’s, 9 p.m. Press Club Flex Your Head Trivia, every Tuesday, 8 p.m. Queen Sheba Mahogany Urban Poetry Series, Dec. 21, 9 p.m. Sacramento Theatre Company Cinderella, Through Jan. 1, 2017 WAL Public Market Art Exhibit: 100 Under $100, Through Jan. 4, 2017

Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Live<< rewind

Capital Cities

Fa La Lala Hell-Yeah!

Glass Animals

Electric Christmas

(feat. capital cities, milky chance and others)

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | The Golden 1 Center

Words Lovelle Harris • Photos phill mamula

SubmergeMag.com

Milky Chance

Warpaint

Capital Cities

The Naked and Famous

With the holiday season in full swing, music lovers got a much-needed break from crowded shopping malls and those pesky, unwelcomed guests known as stress and depression, on Dec. 8 when some of the hottest acts in the national and international music scene landed on the Golden 1 Center stage for Radio 94.7’s fourth annual Electric Christmas. The sold-out affair made good on its promise to both electrify and entertain, from the steady stream of bands that transitioned easily from the green room to the mainstage, to the techs manning the sound boards—who I must give mad props to for producing one of the best sounding shows I’ve been to in ages. The night was a dizzying combination of sights, sounds and grooves. As fans poured into the building, the eager crowd was greeted by the pulsing beats of Sacramento’s own DJ Zephyr. The turntablist and hip-hop producer served as the one-man house band, playing between sets and keeping the audience in near-constant booty-shaking mode during the changeovers. The evening started off with a super legit, sonic one-two-punch with some of Los Angeles’ finest—the indie rock quartet Warpaint dropped its dreamy brand of pop on the masses—and Los Angeles transplants, by way of New Zealand, The Naked and Famous, brought everyone to their feet with their high-energy, electro-indie vibe. When lead vocalist Alisa Xayalith launched into the track “Girls Like You,” and the audience went into full-on swoon mode, I knew we were all in for one hell of a show. With each act adhering to the set times like clockwork (practically a rarity in the concert biz), by the time the English indie rock outfit Glass Animals strutted onto the stage with their brand of reggae-laced grooves, the crowd was

fully amped to embrace the frenetic energy radiating from frontman Dave Bayley as he kicked off a pair of well-loved, brown leather Oxfords and proceeded to dance around the stage in a barefoot flurry of energy, launching into song after song from their wildly popular offerings Zaba and How to Be a Human Being, each track a layered symphony of electronic, auditory magic. Rounding out the international acts was Milky Chance, who hail from Germany, and brought with them their masterful musical wizardry. Their method of blending house, traces of reggae and R&B with somber German folk influences was nothing short of mesmerizing. Lead vocalist Clemens Rehbein had the crowd ensnared in his web of melancholy, electronic beats as he and the band played a selection of musical offerings from their 2013 debut LP, Sadnecessary. Inexplicably, the downtempo vibe didn’t send the audience into one of the many the bars littered throughout the arena—a testament to Milky Chance’s infectious and transcendent beats. The show closed on a high note when crowdfavorite and Grammy-nominated Capital Cities, typically a two-man outfit comprised of Ryan Merchant on vocals, keyboard and guitar and Sebu Simonian, also lending a hand on vocals and keyboards, brought onto the stage with them a full complement of live instruments— including Will Artpope on the trumpet, Justin Thomas mastering the jazz vibraphone and a classical guitarist to round out the dazzling live set. There’s something damn sexy about a horn section in a band and, as a sucker for a good, old-fashioned dance party, it was the perfect way to ring in the season—horns a-blazing! Nice work, 94.7, this was the perfect break from those long shopping lines.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

My house in Dir, Adamaoua, Cameroon

"Couch"

The walk to school

Bed and mosquito net

The bathroom

The high school where I taught

Teaching a small literacy group

A Year Abroad

Reflections on My Time in the Peace Corps Words & photos Andrew Scoggins

think the most unexpected thing that I figured out after joining the Peace Corps and living in tiny village in Cameroon for a year and a half, was how little I really wanted to come back. Despite the roving bands of armed militants kidnapping people around my village, the times when I deliberated whether I was going to puke before or after using my latrine (of which there were many) and the days where I could do nothing but flop myself down onto a foam mattress and have a little mental breakdown after spending four hours at a time corralling 90 12-year-olds into practicing English conjugations—it was still better than watching grown adults punch each other over electronics the day after Thanksgiving. And it was still better than coming home to endless snark battles fought on Facebook between the whiny liberals and the ignorant redneck conservatives about who was going to destroy America faster. During the interminable election season there was a lot of talk about leaving the country if so-and-so wins, so if there is anyone reading this who’s considering joining the Peace Corps as a way to escape the soulless American dystopia

of 2016/2017, here are a few things to expect. “The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love”—For some reason, there are a lot of pithy sayings that get circulated in the Peace Corps. I would imagine it’s because after spending 27 months of your life in an exotic locale, you’ll return home to everyone you ever knew asking you to sum up your experience into a few sentences of response. I always just gave them something Dudeist: strikes and gutters, or something of that ilk. Most people just want to know how hard it was. I think this is because they want to subconsciously convince themselves that they made the right decision to not get flown out to the heart of darkness, dropped off by a van and told to figure it out themselves. There’s something very incredible and beautiful about discovering one’s own capacity to survive and thrive, but I would imagine you, like everyone who I’ve told about this, are looking for the nitty gritty, so here are the greatest hits. I lived in a four-bedroom house (not a hut) with no electricity and no running water. There was a hole in the ground to poop in that cockroaches also inhabited. I had bats, snakes

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

and scorpions living in my roof, and all manner of insects, as well as the occasional mouse living beneath it. It took me eight hours of traveling by bus to reach the regional capital where I received my salary each month. All of the water was filled with amoebas and other parasites that had to be jettisoned from my body violently every three to four months. During the dry season, I couldn’t buy any vegetables that weren’t onions, and I could either spend two hours pumping water, transporting water and arguing with children about whose turn it was to pump the water, or just pay a kid to get water for me at least once a week. The roads were dangerous. I helped flip over two separate coaster buses that had crashed alongside the torn-apart highway. I taught three classes of 20, 70 and 90 children respectively, which went about as smoothly as you could imagine teaching that many children (without electricity, books, resources, support, doors for all the classrooms, etc.) would go. There were a few sketchy situations I ran into at marketplaces, at bars and while traveling. I was also evacuated from my village due to armed bandits kidnapping children from the surrounding area to hold them ransom and later decapitate them. I’ve literally had to face down a roaring gorilla, walk through waist-deep, crocodile-infested waters, pick up a motorcycle and my amoeba-ridden friend out of the mud to catch a bus to get us to a hospital. I’ve had

to jump into the back of a pick-up at 4 a.m. to escape a mob of enraged parking attendants; I left my village as the Cameroonian army were setting up .50 caliber machine gun nests … the list goes on. But honestly, at the end of the day, I never felt so alive. There’s a certain truth that’s revealed when all of the artificiality of modern society is stripped away. Living in a village that was constantly ravaged by disease, violence, poverty and malnutrition, I saw a lot of death. In the Gbaya culture, the grieving ceremony lasts for three nights, during which you hear the howling of grieving mothers, fathers and children. And yet, in the daylight they are the kindest people you could ever meet. Strangers constantly offer what little food they have. People show up to your door just to say hello and ask how your day is going. The village is full of children running and laughing. It’s this incredible sense of community that I had never felt before. I eventually came home to my parents’ Sacramento suburb, and in the twilight I would sometimes take their dog for a walk. I’d pass by house after house of these empty boxes of a few people sitting in silence staring at screens. During the day there’d be no one in the sunshine, just from time to time a person driving another vacuum-sealed box, scowling and impatient to get to where they were going next. No one waved back, no one smiled, no one on the street tried to strike up a conversation. I’d barrage the guy working the Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

Ngaoundere, the capital of the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

Madame Sirri and Monsieur Dafla (other teachers)

All the roosting birds in the jungle

Me with my friend Barack

checkout line about my time in Cameroon and how lonely it was to live somewhere so stilted and quiet. I bought a motorcycle within a month of being home because I needed to go. I needed to see how far the cage went. And after two months traveling on the bike, I kind of gave up and bought into it. Now here I am in Seattle eating delivery pizza, next to a space heater, wearing slippers and comfortable clothes, using the endless electricity to hammer into this machine until I crawl back into bed and go to my real job in the morning. The comfort and the 40-hour workweek were the two things that took me the longest to get used to after coming back. In Cameroon, you’re hardly ever totally comfortable. The climate is uncomfortable, traveling is uncomfortable, and furniture is uncomfortable, or at least that’s what it felt like as an American. In some ways, I missed my feathery down bed, the oiled leather in the car, the air conditioning, the pampering, everything. Maybe it sounds like I was born with the silver spoon, but comparatively all Americans are. When I came back, I broke down while walking into a hardware store. It was horrifying to think of all the resources used to make the infinite configurations of trowels and showerheads, when people in my village didn’t have enough to eat and lived in mud brick houses with thatched straw roofs over their heads. I never really thought I’d be as cliché as SubmergeMag.com

Trip to some waterfalls

having that kind of response when I returned to the States, but that realization hit me, and it never really let up. It was really difficult for me to buy back into American life. In Cameroon, I’d work for maybe six hours, four days a week and the rest of the time was spent doing whatever I wanted, and that was common for the culture. Even farmers would work when they needed to and take it easy when they didn’t. Coming back to the States and dealing with the medical issues that I was facing (cat scratch fever, malaria, staph infection) while at the same time trying to grind out these 40-hour work weeks as a substitute teacher for a bunch of bratty suburban kids was incredibly brutal for me. This isn’t to say I can’t do hard work, but rather that it’s the pointless work for profit that was getting to me. Make a bunch of money, buy a nice house, fill it full of pointless distractions, support a family, buy a nice car—it all felt like I was killing myself to work for this machine that ran from these resources stripped away from places I had been. It’s hard to shake that feeling. Post-election, it feels very easy to romanticize the ex-pat lifestyle. Spending most of my time reading books, writing, playing volleyball and hiking around my pastoral village socializing was an escape for me that I’ve never really found before and will likely not find again for some time. That being said, the crippling isolation and loneliness gets left in the background of the nostalgia. I made close

relationships with my friends and neighbors in the village. We watched Star Wars and Disney movies in French on the weekends, and watched soccer games in bars. I went on hikes with friends, had intimate dinners and wild conversations over dollar beers. I had all of these things, but being constantly singled out as an outsider was challenging. This is again a very obvious statement to make, but it’s hard to feel connected to a close-knit community when you’re not from that community. I think different volunteers had better success integrating than I did, but at the end of the day you can only connect so closely with people who know you’re only going to be there for a year or two. That was maybe the hardest thing about the Peace Corps. And ultimately, I do believe Peace Corps volunteers do great amounts of good while they’re serving. They work as the middlemen between what the people in their communities want and the resources they need to get it done. Volunteers build libraries, wells and selfsustaining farms. My project was to install solar panels at the school so we could run computers and have lights for night classes. I ran teacher workshops designed to bring awareness to problems like domestic abuse and corporal punishment in schools. Simply interacting with people on a day-to-day basis and getting into conversations about how women are not objects, homosexuals should not be burned alive and why modern medicine is generally a good

Some of my students

thing spark huge changes. As a Peace Corps volunteer, you’re not going to save the world, but I definitely think they do a lot more good than harm. The biggest thing I learned from the experience was the reason I went over there in the first place. I wanted to go to the other side of the world and figure out that there were people out there just like me, and that’s what happened for better and for worse. You can travel thousands of miles away to joke about the same things, dance, love and live in the same way. There were countless cultural differences that I learned about during my time there, but for the most part things didn’t feel very different at all. The Peace Corps offers the opportunity to dive as deep into human experience and human connection as you’d like to go. The only tricky part is coming back and trying to explain to other people what you saw. Why one country is riddled with disease and violence, but people seemed to be happier and more connected. And why another country has seemingly everything, and yet it’s full of people who are angry and miserable. I would say go if you’re interested in Is the Peace Corps the question, right for you? Check stay if you can’t out Peacecorps.gov to handle the find out. The deadline to apply for a summer answer. 2017 departure is Jan. 1.

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

the shallow end

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People are more eager to say goodbye to 2016 than they have been any year in recent memory. Though to be honest, I don’t remember the last time anyone said something like, “Gosh, 2013 was awesome. I’m going to be sad to see it go.” Have we become that miserable? Are we that discontent with our lives that every year is basically a big pile of shit? Are we so unable to live in the moment that we’re always going to be mired in hoping “things will get better?” Am I starting to sound like an Elizabeth Gilbert book? OK. I’ll stop. It’s true that 2016 was a troubling year full of despair and death. It seemed like every celebrity you loved died. It was so bad that even Alan Thicke was like fuck this shit, I’m outta here (RIP to America’s TV dad), and you may have missed it, but Dr. Henry Heimlich, the man who invented the eponymous technique to rescue people from choking to death, passed away at the ripe old age of 96. The Heimlich Maneuver saved tens of thousands of lives since its introduction in the 1970s, and Heimlich used his famous technique, according to an article on CNN.com, to save a fellow resident of the Deupree House retirement community from choking to death earlier this year. Nearly choking to death must suck, but how cool would it have been if Dr. Heimlich himself sprang into action to save your ass? On a larger scale, we’ve seen over and over again this year how horrible people can be toward one another. Most recently, the conflict in Syria has managed to get even worse, especially in Aleppo where rebels are making a final stand against

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Bashar al-Assad, and both sides seem to be incapable of not being pricks long enough to evacuate the civilians caught in the crossfire. I’m going to stop short of delving into the seemingly endless vitriol drummed up by this year’s U.S. Presidential election and its result. I mean, yeah, I don’t even know how we look at each other any more. It’s like America’s engaged in some nasty divorce arbitration, and we’re all fighting over who gets to keep the dogs (you’re not getting Snookums—you can forget it). But was 2016 all bad? OK … yeah. It was. But, I mean, I got married this year! I know that doesn’t mean shit to you, but I thought it was pretty awesome. We even gave props to David Bowie and closed out the party with “Magic Dance” from Labyrinth. It was really sweet. And we went on our honeymoon to the Caribbean and I ziplined for the first time and didn’t even die or get spooked by a tarantula in the rainforest—all of which I’m grateful for. And now I get to spend the rest of my days with the love of my life, which I’m extremely grateful for (and I’m not just writing that because she asked me to leave my column up on the computer so she could read it when she got home). Maybe you didn’t get married this year (and if you did, congratulations!), but there must have been something good that happened to you in 2016. Maybe the barista at Starbucks finally spelled your name correctly on your cup. That’s not much, but it’s something! Some of you out there might not even have that to hang your hat on, though. Hey, I understand. Times are

hard out there for a lot of people. But even if you don’t have any good memories of 2016, fear not. Your time isn’t up yet. You still have a chance (like, 12 days as of this magazine’s publication, so you really have to get on it) to make sure that this year wasn’t a total piece of shit. How about making memories for you and a young lady in Mexico? Dec. 26 is Rubi Ibarra’s quinceñera, and it’s going to be the social event of the year. Rubi’s father Crescencio posted a video inviting “everyone” to his daughter’s 15th birthday bash, and it went viral. Why? Who knows. Maybe it’s because the party will feature live music and a horse race with cash prizes, or because Crescencio and Rubi were just killing it fashion-wise (he in a black cowboy hat, and she in leopard print dress and tiara), but does it really matter? More than 1.3 million people have RSVPed to the event already on Facebook, and memes and parodies of the video (including ones featuring The Simpsons and Gael Garcia Bernal) have circulated all over the internet. Interjet, a Mexican airline, is even offering travel discounts to those who want to attend, so you can fly out to wherever this party is on the cheap. Feliz compleaños, Rubi! Even if you don’t make it to Rubi’s XV, just do something amazing that you’ll look back on and smile about this year. Do some good for others or good for yourself. You’ll need it. It’s been a tough trip around the sun, and, considering where things seem to be headed, just think of how you’re going to feel about 2017 by this time next year.

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Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

2408 21st st • Sac • sacramentobarbershop.com (916) 457-1120 • Tues-Fri 9am-6pm • saT 10am-4pm Dive Into Sacramento & Its Surrounding Areas

SubmergeMag.com

Issue 229 • December 19, 2016 – January 2, 2017

Dive into Sacramento & its Surrounding Areas December 19, 2016 – january 2, 2017

#229

avery write

brian posehn Laugh Sabbath

There Goes My Hero

Electric Christmas

La La Land ’s

A Golden Night at the Golden 1

Love Letter to L.A.

EASTsmf The Natural Choice Wildin’ Out in

Willits

Awesome Local Events to ring in the new year First Bands Revealed for

First Fest

Reflections on a Year in the

Peace Corps

Cameroon,africa

free