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Volume 20 Issue 43 June 16, 2014
This Week...
For 20 years The Synthesis’ goal has remained to provide a forum for entertainment, music, humor, community awareness, opinions, and change.
Columns Letter From the Editor
Publisher/Managing Editor
by Amy Olson
amy@synthesis.net
PAGE 4
Creative Director
Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA
Tanner Ulsh graphics@synthesis.net
by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff
PAGE 5
Immaculate Infection
by Bob Howard
PAGE 6
Contributing Writers
PAGE 7
Supertime!
logankruidenier.tumblr.com
PAGE 16
Nerd
Accounting
by Zooey Mae
Ben Kirby
PAGE 17
Director of Operations Karen Potter
Owner
Scene Report
Bill Fishkin bill@synthesis.net
PAGE 18
Consider the Platypus by Mona Treme
PAGE 8
Jessica Sid Vincent Latham
Dain Sandoval dain@synthesis.net
Comical Ruminations
PAGE 19
Preview
Cirque du Solar
PAGE 19
Reviews Godzilla Locke
Arielle Mullen, Bob Howard, Howl, Koz McKev, Tommy Diestel, Jayme Washburn, Eli Schwartz, Mona Treme, Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff, Jon Williams
Photography
by Logan Kruidenier
Everything you need to know about all things festive, plus tips and tricks for getting through the weekend in one piece! We’ve got Pedalpalooza, Electric Daisy Carnival, Conscious Culture, San Francisco Free Folk, Warped Tour, Sacred Movement, High Sierra, California Worldfest, Wanderlust, Northern Nights, Reggae On The River, Beloved, Outside Lands, Aftershock… We’re lousy with festivals! (Also with head lice. Don’t hug strangers, people.)
Liz Watters, Mike Valdez graphics@synthesis.net Joey Murphy, Jennifer Foti
by Eli Schwartz
Festivaaaaaaal!
Alex Light Alex@synthesis.net SynthesisWeekly.com/submit-yourevent/
Deliveries
Productivity Wasted
Fresh Ink West by Swan
Entertainment Editor
Designers
Madbob@madbob.com
zooey@synthesis.net
Amy Olson amy@synthesis.net
PAGE 20 & 21
The Synthesis is both owned and published by Apartment 8 Productions. All things published in these pages are the property of Apartment 8 Productions and may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way, shape or form without the written consent of Apartment 8 Productions. One copy (maybe two) of the Synthesis is available free to residents in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. Anyone caught removing papers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All opinions expressed throughout the Synthesis are those of the author and are not necessarily the same opinions as Apartment 8 Productions and the Synthesis. The Synthesis welcomes, wants, and will even desperately beg for letters because we care what you think. We can be reached via snail mail at the Synthesis, 210 W. 6th St., Chico, California, 95928. Email letters@ synthesis.net. Please sign all of your letters with your real name, address and preferably a phone number. We may also edit your submission for content and space.
210 West 6th Street Chico Ca 95928 530.899.7708 editorial@synthesis.net
FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 3
PET OF THE WEEK
The Highlight Reel CELEBRATING MY PAPER ANNIVERSARY I can’t believe it’s only been a year since I started here. Is that actually right? It seems like so much longer.
To by If you’re looking for a running partner, look no further! Toby would do great in a home that is able to give him lots of exercise; walks in the neighborhood, hikes at Bidwell, swims in the creek, you name it Toby would love to tag along on all of your adventures.
2579 Fair Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 343-7917 • buttehumane.org
Now Hear This SYNTHESIS WEEKLY PLAYLIST BONES
I was just minding my own business, sitting in the vacant entertainment editor’s desk at the Syn office, and someone made a joke about how I looked pretty good there (it might’ve been me). One thing led to another, and suddenly I was being interviewed for the position. Just like that, my life changed. This year has held nothing but surprises, mostly because I’m not psychic. There was the time I sent a bunch of hilarious (it’s my story, damn right I’m claiming they were hilarious) interview questions to an artist through his rep, but when the responses came back it turned out the middle-man had rewritten them to be the most white bread, ass-kissy bunch of drivel I had ever heard. One of the questions had literally become “why are you so great?” It was amazing. Then there was the time Sarah volunteered me to go with her to a Nor Cal Roller Girls practice. That was a nerve wracking drive— not knowing if I could even remember how to skate, let alone hang with this tough bunch of bitches. They turned out to be super nice, but I still came home bruised to the bone.
Tanner
Bones - “.Exe”
Liz
SOHN - “Artifice”
“Mike”
Albert Ryan - “Cross My Heart”
Dinah
Bonnie Tyler - “Total Eclipse of the ♥”
Becca
The Shins - “Simple Song”
Alex
Exquisite Corps - “Caught in a Wave”
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
Around that same time, our designer Michaela announced she was moving to BFE, and we embarked on a desperate search to to replace her. The clock ticked down without a viable candidate, so we lured one of SynMedia’s designers, the impeccable Tanner Ulsh, over to our side of the office and got him to fill in. But then it turned out he was brilliant; it was like finding gold in our pocket. We begged and pleaded until he officially joined our team. Since then he’s gone above and beyond, and breathed new life into these pages. Of course, there was that crazy day Sarah left, and suddenly I was in charge. Not only did I
have all the responsibilities of management to wrap my head around, but until I could fill my old position I had to keep doing that job too. For the first three weeks my left eyelid twitched at 30 second intervals. It was… rough. But then we hired Alex Light, who kicks so much ass and takes so many names it’s surprising he doesn’t have a broken foot with names written all over it. Having him here has not only freed up mental space for me to think about the paper in a broader sense, but it’s inspired me to do whatever I can to outshine him. My heart is going to break when Sorin gets catapulted to fame, which is probably going to happen any day now. We brought on some fantastic new writers this year, both as feature writers and columnists— so many I’m scared to start naming them lest I forget someone. We’ve been lucky enough to find people with insight and a spirit of enthusiasm who complement our veteran columnists quite well. I’m extremely pleased with the quality and direction of our content these days. And who can forget the time I fired Jaime? (It feels like it was just a week ago.) That was an oddly cleansing experience—like a mud bath: messy and weird, but it left me feeling refreshed and ready to start a new phase of the paper. Thanks for sticking with us through all the changes, gentle reader. I appreciate you more than you know.
Letter From the Editor by Amy Olson
amy@synthesis.net
OG Players PARADISE ELKS LODGE BLOWS BALLS—IN A GOOD WAY
Elks Lodge. Paradise, CA. Sunday, 4:07pm. Stumbling out of the deathly, come-on-godreally?-heat, into the sweet perfumed and conditioned air of the Elks Lodge’s cavernous Grand Bingo Hall, no time to take it in because I’m late and the first game is already underway. Pay my $15, squishing uncounted change back into my wallet; then, pushed into my hands are: tear-away sheets of Bingo paper, big magenta marker, trash bag. I tell the volunteers that I’ve never played. A soft kind hand on my lower back guides me to a seat at one of the long rows of foldout tables. Like an elderly NASCAR pit crew, volunteers set upon me, taping my trash bag to the table for easy discarding, explaining the games, catching my sheets up for me. Numbers and letters are coming out relentlessly over the PA and lighting up on the mysterious board and my eyes scan frantically for them on my sheets, gleeful when they appear, stabbing psychotically with my marker; that odd anxious urge to win already seizing hold of me. “Bingo!” comes a creaky voice from across the room, followed by a chorus of embittered mumbles and curses. “Same damn people every time,” complains the lady across the table, in a German accent. She’s got white hair, spectacles. Her name is Ursula. Ursula is German and quite elderly. I do calculations; formulate questions vis-à-vis certain historical happenings; then don’t dare ask them. “Will you open this for me?” Ursula asks, handing me a Snickers.
I start getting the hang of things. Bingo basically requires paying attention. There’s no strategy whatsoever. But it’s kind of fun: cruelly dashed hopes and then hopes renewed, a sense of action and possibility and good things right around the corner. It’s a decent way to pass the time. But do you really want to “pass the time” if you’re running out of it? The crowd of 55 is mostly septua- and octogenarians and there’s maybe a six-to-one ration of women to men. As many players have walkers next to their seats as don’t. Hair as white as cotton swabs gleams under the fluorescence. Up front, an aging contraption is blowing the Bingo balls around. An endoscopic image of whichever ball pops up is displayed on little ‘80s-era televisions. Fate.
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“Ugh! So close,” I yell out when I miss a Bingo by one stupid number. Audibly complaining is part Bingo culture, I’m learning, and I’m trying to fit in.
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“Close only counts in Horseshoes,” says Butch, who’s sitting a seat down from Ursula, folksy and cool.
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“You can stick it!” Ursula mutters to no one in particular—the winner, I guess.
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“Did you just say ‘you can stick it’?” I ask Ursula, just to make sure.
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“Yeah,” she says, giving me a sly little smile that makes me fall right in love with her. “Isn’t that foolish? Like little kids. Grown-ups get that way sometimes, too.”
Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA
by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff
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“We clean to YOUR specifications!” FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 5
The Good, the Bad, and the Dumbass TRIPLE CROWNS AREN’T HANDED OUT; THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF THE SPORT OF KINGS; CONNECTIONS THAT CANNOT BE UN-MADE California Chrome’s incredible run at the Triple Crown ended on a shameful note after one of his owners went on a bizarre rant about the cowardice of other horse owners. This was really a strange spectacle and I understand Steve Cobrun has since apologized, so I’m not going to go on at length about it, but really, does the guy think they just hand out Triple Crowns? There’s a reason no horse since Affirmed has done it, and that was nearly four decades ago. Well, I guess you can’t expect much from a guy who actually has “Dumbass” right in his company name. I have a weird relationship with horse racing. I love racing, and horse racing is one of the most exciting racing forms, but I also recognize the inherent animal cruelty that goes on within the sport. Plenty of horses break down during the course of a race and
CS
typically they are killed on the spot. Horses don’t circulate blood like humans do, so when a horse breaks a leg, the injury is typically fatal. Failed race horses are generally euthanized as well. It’s an ugly underbelly to the enterprise known as the “sport of kings.” On the other hand, horse racing is a sport that connects people with animals. A horse race back in 2006 was the impetus for me to give up eating flesh. That year I, like a lot of people, fell in love with the amazing and genuine Triple Crown contender Barbaro. That was a beautiful horse. Barbaro was the heavy favorite to win the Triple Crown until he broke down during the Preakness—the second leg of the three-race event. It was a bad break, and in spite of seven months of treatment and the deep pockets of Barbaro’s wealthy owners, the horse eventually had to be put down. Anyone
IRQUE
DU
North Valley
OLAR
Celebrating the Solstice and Clean Energy from the Sun
Thursday, June 19th 2014
Doors at 5:30pm 6:00 - 9:00pm
$15 AT DOOR $5 FOR GRID
VOLUNTEERS
Join us for jazz and an eclectic variety show Featuring music by: Bogg | Erin Lizardo | The Rugs Performances by: Meg Amor | Everybody In Outer Space | Samba Sirens belly dancing, fire and more!
Refreshments provided Dinner vendors and no-host bar onsite
A BENEFIT FOR THE NON-PROFIT GRID ALTERNATIVES 6
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
watching the race knew that would be the outcome. It was horrible, and I sob to myself recollecting that tragic day. I was watching the race with my dogs, and that was when I had my epiphany, when I realized that I could allow myself to love any animal that I really got to know. I love my dogs, I loved a horse I’d never even met; why wouldn’t I love a cow, or a chicken, or a pig, if I had the opportunity to really connect with that animal? So I stopped eating meat. One small brick in the wall of cognitive dissonance removed, plenty more where that came from. This is a weird life, and most of us have to put on the blinders just to get through an average day. If we opened ourselves completely to all of the human and animal suffering that surrounds us we’d lose it. I don’t watch horse racing as much as I used to, but I’ll still watch a race once in awhile. But now when I marvel at the sleek, wondrous animals racing around the track, I also grit my teeth and say my own little sort of prayer for them, and shudder at all the carnage and waste that goes into those two minutes of exhilaration.
Immaculate Infection
by Bob Howard
Madbob@madbob.com
All Aboard the Hype Train CHOO CHOO! The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known by its slick moniker “E3,” has come. What does it mean? Why are so many people excited? Why are so many people upset? Well, an important E to remember is “Expo,” as in “exposition,” as in “expose.” This is where the big companies (and a few of the smaller ones who get very little hype) hire uncharismatic men to slap on a headset and read overly dramatic scripts in between game trailers being blasted at frothing crowds on the big screen. E3 somehow combines the innovative promise and showmanship of the World’s Fair, the unmitigated salesmanship of a car dealership, and the ferocity of a Christian Revival Meeting. Somewhere intermixed are fierce console rivalries approaching national feuds, thousands of interested gamers, and thousands of bitter, untrustworthy gamers like me, who mock the hype train even as they strap themselves in and meticulously follow the event. In terms of titles, there were the inevitables: Assassin’s Creed Unity (set in revolutionary Paris and featuring 4-player co-op), Far Cry 4 (set in India and featuring more exploration), Dragon Age III (featuring new combat modes that are really the same as the old ones but with better graphics), the latest in the many-named Demon Souls series: Bloodborne (featuring muskets), and a new Uncharted (set in some tropical den of thieves, who could have guessed?). Then, there were the surprises and upsets: A new Zelda, a Phantom Dust reboot, Halo 5 confirmed (and vague...) Mirror’s Edge 2 showed a bit of early developmental gameplay and mostly spent its time talking concept art with a hip crowd of young multicultural developers. On the console front: Nintendo showed off a few new games and their new “Miibos,” little figurines depicting franchise characters which interface with the WiiU and fight in games,
leveling up as they do so. The concept is cool enough, but the collectible and figurine industry is also a goldmine, so Nintendo is once again fusing their game crafting skill with childlike tendencies that will cause the revenue to pour in. Sony stole the show with a massive showcase of games, exclusives, and Playstation Network features like the free coop for Far Cry 4. Microsoft showed off plenty of new games and did what most people will commend as an “adequate” job, but failed to wow like the other companies did. This failure on their part comes simultaneously with Sony’s deadly claim that many of their PS4 purchases came from previous Xbox owners (a claim which made its way to the Wall Street Journal), and in light of these events, the markets rumble in preparation for a tectonic shift. And uh, GTA V for PC. Yay! This also marks an E3 with audible grumblings on the severe masculinity of the event, due to a particular excess of white male protagonists and Ubisoft’s heavily-ridiculed defense that the reason they will not feature female protagonists is because they’re too difficult to animate. These voices are not new, but they are newly strong in the media and on the internet, as feminism becomes a more vocal issue by the year. Interesting trends, bold experiments, bitter disappointments, and all the hype you could ever eat.
Productivity Wasted by Eli Schwartz
FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 7
IF YOU CAN’T SHOWER, DO YOU WHAT YOU CAN Your sanity will greatly benefit from small, simple actions: brushing your teeth, washing your hands, washing your face, putting on fresh clothes. When you’re drunk/high/awake for over twelve hours, these symbolic acts can seem too small to make any difference, but in fact they have a very stabilizing effect on your psyche.
SMALL SNACKS, ALL DAY Through dancing, drugs, alcohol, sun-exposure, and just being around A LOT of people, you’ll be absorbing and expending way more energy than usual. Your metabolism will go way up, and you’ll need to keep throwing logs on your fire throughout the day, or you’ll burn out. Nuts, fruit, ORANGES, protein bars, etc.
BY HOWL PHOTOS BY ALAN SHECKTER
You can feel it in the air, refreshing your mind, invigorating the soul in some intangible way: every single person, of the thousands of people around you, is here by free will. All of you have chosen to attend THIS festival for THIS weekend, shaping your day-jobs around THIS instead of letting your day-jobs shape your life. Things are possible during such a gathering that aren’t possible under any other circumstances. Some people go through most of their lives before experiencing a really GOOD festival, after which their lives are changed forever.
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
P E DA L PA LO OZ A
E l ect r i c
JUNE 5TH – JUNE 28TH PORTLAND, OR
Da i sy
Over three weeks of fun with bikes, and it’s happening NOW. Unicycle Polo (and workshops for unicycle n00bs), naked bike rides, tandem-only rides, rides in plaid only, dance parties, bike jousting, dancing and DJ’s, and biketours of the beautiful Portland scenery. Damn.
Ca r n i va l JUNE 20TH – JUNE 22ND LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS, NV If you need more information about EDC, you probably won’t be going, because it’s sold out. The ultimate rave of the decade, set in the electric desert of Vegas.
Conscious C u lt u r e F est i va l JUNE 20TH – JUNE 22ND BARTER FAIRE SITE, TONASKET, WA It’s a long drive, but getting a weekend pass costs only $50, and you get tons of music set in the beautiful Washington state. Featuring Kabaka Pyramid, Staxx Brothers, The Blackberry Bushes, and like 40 EDM artists.
S i e r r a N e va da
Wa r p e d To u r
World Music
JUNE 21ST SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
F est i va l JUNE 20TH – JUNE 22ND MENDOCINO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, BOONVILLE, CA Lots of marijuana and reggae and world music. Featuring Ozomatli, Shaggy, Rebelution, Cultura Profetica, Seun Kuti, Mykal Rose, and more marijuana.
Does this count as a festival? Well, if fucking Aftershock made it into this feature, so will Warped Tour. Shit-tons of punk bands, hardcore bands, poppunk bands, and some well-recognized acts like Every Time I Die. Also, there’s Less Than Jake, The Maine, Parkway Drive, The Story So Far, and A Lot Like Birds.
High Sierra
Sa n F r a n c i s c o
M u s i c F est i va l
F r e e Fo l k
JULY 3RD – JULY 6TH QUINCY, CA
F est i va l JUNE 21ST AND JUNE 22ND, 12PM TO 10PM PRESIDIO MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA It’s all in the name! More families than usual, more old folks, and more folk, and it’s free. There’s dance workshops, guitar workshops, and other stuff.
This is the big one for Northern California, inspiring the year-afteryear attendance loyalty of hundreds of young Chicoans. If you’re wanting something for the family, go for California Worldfest, because HSMF comes with a much larger share of drugs, youth, and all-night partying. Increased debauchery aside, this weekend still manages to be pretty positive and wholesome. Lauryn Hill is playing.
Sac r e d M ov e m e nt H e a l i n g A rts a n d M u s i c F est i va l
Ca l i fo r n i a
LAKE CONCOW CAMPGROUND, CONCOW, CA JUNE 27TH – JUNE 29TH
JULY 10TH – JULY 13TH GRASS VALLEY FAIRGROUNDS, GRASS VALLEY, CA
This is the local one! Some of Chico’s best will be there, including Dylan’s Dharma, Wolfthump, Bogg, Swamp Zen, and The LoLos. Delhi 2 Dublin is one of the headliners, and everyone knows they fucking shred. This festival is special because all benefits go to helping Concow build a permanent community center, dedicated to low and no cost services for the community.
The family-friendly, very local, surprisingly awesome weekend party of Grass Valley. A total of EIGHT stages showcasing a huge variety of music of all cultures, with the added bonus of headliners Los Lonely Boys. Delhi 2 Dublin is playing (as always), and Friday and Saturday’s late-night drum circles are still some of the coolest, most pure dance parties I’ve experienced.
W o r l d f est
FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 9
N o rt h e r n
R eg ga e O n
N i g hts M u s i c
The River
F est i va l
JULY 31ST – AUGUST 3RD HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CA
JULY 18TH – JULY 20TH COOK’S VALLEY CAMPGROUND, MENDOCINO/ HUMBOLDT COUNTYLINE, CA This weekend is headlined by Beats Antique, Justin Martin, and Zion I, and filled out with some indie groups and a lot of DJs. The Redwood Curtain you’ll be camping and partying in is perfect for setting the right mood, and for providing some rest when you need to collapse for a few hours.
I hate reggae, but don’t let that deter you—I’m dumb and un-enlightened! Jimmy Cliff, Alpha Blondy & The Solar System, Iration, Fishbone, and a shit-ton of marijuana in southern Humboldt County.
B e lov e d AUGUST 8TH – AUGUST 11TH TIDEWATER FALLS, TIDEWATER, OR Artists. Dancers. Hippies. Dubstep. More chilled, more spacious, more scenic, and it’s organized with a focus on the sacred.
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
A ft e r s h o c k 201 4 SEPTEMBER 13TH – SEPTEMBER 14TH DISCOVERY PARK, SACRAMENTO, CA This one’s for all the Z-Rock fans. This two-dayer has no place to camp, being in Sacramento, but it does have Weezer and Mastodon. Oh, and Limp Bizkit.
O uts i d e L a n d s AUGUST 8TH – AUGUST 10TH GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Fucking KANYE WEST in Golden Gate Park! This is already sold out, but goddamn is it a good line-up this year: Tom Petty, The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie, Run the Jewels… Sick.
SPLASH INTO
SUMMER! DOES YOUR CHILD LOVE THE WATER? IS YOUR CHILD READY TO MOVE ON FROM LESSONS?
NORTH VALLEY SWIM CLUBS ARE THE ANSWER!
LIFE IN CHICO Do you like Life in Chico? So do we! -“Like” Life in Chico, CA facebook.com/ChicoCA
FOR MORE INFO CALL 345-6707
Summer Camp Sessions : Zumba, CrossFit, Swim Lessons, Fit Camps and more! Ages 6 months to 18 years old. For more info visit inmotionfitness.net or call 343-5678 ext 123 to sign up today!
Food & Drink Monday Tuesday Wednesday HERE 3 4 4 w e s t 8 t h S t | c h i c o, c a | 5 3 0 - 3 4 3 - 2 7 9 0
Thursday Friday
MONDAY
Closed. We need to drink, too!
Closed
$3 CUERVO MARGARITAS
$2.50 CORONA & SIERRA NEVADA
TUESDAY
Saturday
$1 WELLS, DRAFTS, DOM. & SIERRA NEVADA 8-10PM PROGRESSIVE 10-2AM UP 25¢ PER HR. UNTIL CLOSE $4.50 DBL BACCARDI
wednesday
Sunday
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Open Mic Comedy Night Every Other Week! Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR & Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
$6.50 Pulled pork sand w/ fries or salad 25 cent wings from halftime 'til they're gone! MONSTER MONDAY SPECIALS 6PM-CLOSE BEER $3/4/5/6 $1 SHOTS FREE Pool after 10PM
6PM - close $1 Off Pitchers
Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3
Closed
$3 Sierra and Domestic Pints $ 3.50 Kamis ALL DAY!
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Two Dollar Tuesdays! $2 PBRs $2 Tacos! Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
Chicken Strip Sand only $6.50 before 6 PM DOLLAR DAZE 6-9pm $1 Beer $1 Wells $2 Doubles FREE Pool after 10PM
Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3 Live music 8-10
Closed
WING WEDNESDAY! $2 for 3 Wings
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights! PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Chicken Waffle Wed.! 8 ball Tourney 6pm sign-up Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
Reuben Sand w/ fries or salad $6.50 5pm-Close 1/2 off kids items 8pm-Close Pitcher Specials $6/$9/$12 FREE Pool after 10PM
Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3
$3 20oz Slushies $2 12oz Slushies $2 Wells, Drafts and Bartender Specials $5 Vodka Red Bull
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Chico Jazz Collective 8-midnight Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra & Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
Baby Back Ribs $10.99 Philly Cheesesteak $7.50
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights! PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Rock Out at The DL! Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub, and 10 9' foot tables Open @11am All ages untill 10pm
10 oz. Tri-Tip Steak w/ Fries or Salad & Garlic Bread $8.99 8pm-Close $4 Jäger $5 DBL Vodka Red Bull $6 Jäger Red Bull $2 Kamikaze shots FREE Pool after 10PM
Open at 11AM $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Peppar Bloody Marys Noon - 6PM $8 / $9 SN Dom Pitchers $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights! PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Rock Out at The DL! Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub, and 10 9' foot tables Open @11am All ages untill 10pm
Baby Back Ribs w/Salad, Fries & garlic bread $10.99 8pm-Close $4 Single/$6 Double Jack or Captain $2 Sierra Nevada FREE Pool after 10PM
10AM -2PM $5 Bottles of Champagne with entree $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Peppar Bloody Marys
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Free Pool with Purchase! 1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans
$5.19 Grad/Garden/ Turkey Burger w/fries or salad Bloodies $3 Well, $4 Call, $5 Top, $6 Goose Mimosas $2/flute, $5/pint $6 Beer Pitchers FREE Pool after 10PM
8PM-Close $2.50 Fire Eater Shots $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails
Open 9PM NO COVER! Food Truck Friday: Pop's Pizza wood-fired pizza's made to order on the patio, all night! Happy Hour from 4-6.
Bartender Specials $3 14oz Slushies $4 20oz Slushies
We open at 12:00pm. Food Truck Saturday Night Annie's Asian Grill on the Patio Everything from Shrimp Tempura to Korean Tacos
Bartender Specials $3 14oz Slushies $4 20oz Slushies
WE OPEN AT 12:00PM MIMOSAS WITH FRESH SQUEEZED OJ FOR $5 UNTIL 5PM.
Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4PM $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints $3.50 Soccer moms $6 Dbl Roaring Vodka
Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4PM $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints Weekend Blast Off!! 8-close $5 Blasters
191 E. 2ND ST • 898-0630
$2 MARGARITAS
Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4PM $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints
$1 WELLS/ROLLING ROCK, PALE ALE & DOM. $2 KARL STRAUSS $3 BUTTE PORTER $5 VODKA REDBULL
THURSDAY $1 PALE ALE & DOM. UP 25¢ PER HR. 8PM-CLOSE $3.50 151 PARTY PUNCH
$3 HOT LICKS CINNAMON WHISKEY $4.50 DBL BACCARDI
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SATURDAY 9/27/2014
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337 Main St.
6pm-Close $4 Grad teas $3 All beer pints FREE Pool after 10PM
Closed
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BEAR-E-OKE BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49. 11am-10pm.
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Happy Hour 11-6PM select bottles & drafts $2.75
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2 FOR 1 BURGERS ALL DAY !! MINORS WELCOME!
BEAR WEAR! 1/2 off while wearing Bear Wear. MUG CLUB 4-10PM
$2 All Day $2 Select Sierra Nevada or Dom Drafts $2 Kamis -any flavor
$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm 10 - Close: $2 Bartender Shot Specials $3 Skyy Vodka Cocktails $5 Dbl Bacardi or SoCo Cocktails
Happy Hour 4 - 7pm $1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!
8PM-Close $2 Margaritas $3 Cuervo Marqis $2.50 Corona Bottles & Sierra Drafts $3 Corona Lite Drafts Mon-Sat 3-6PM $1 Dom draft, $2 SN draft, $2 wells
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Progressive Night! 8-10PM $1 Sierra Pale Ale, Domestics, Rolling Rock & well cocktails up 10PM-close 25¢ per hour-close Mon-Sat free pool 6-8PM
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TRIKE RACES! Post time @ 10pm. Win T-shirts and Bear Bucks. MUG CLUB 4-10PM
All 16 oz Teas or AMF $3 All Day
$3.50 Skyyy Vodka Cocktails $3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm
1/2 OFF EVERYTHING!!!
Buck Night 8-Close $1 well cocktails, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Rolling Rock, dom draft $3 Black Butte $4 Vodka Redbull
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Happy Hour 4 - 8pm Ladies Night! 88 pm - CLOSE $5 Pabst pitchers $2 shot board $4 Moscow Mules $3 Jamo and Ginger
LIVE JAZZ Drink Specials
BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49. 11am-10pm.
Happy Hour 11-6PM $2.75 select bottles & drafts
9pm - Close $2 12oz Teas $3 20oz Teas $2 Well, Dom Bottles & bartender Specials $5 Vodka Red Bull
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8pm-Close $4 151 Party Punch 22oz 8-9PM $1 pale ale and dom draft up 25¢ per hour until close
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Free Happy Hour Food 4PM until it's gone
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Power Hour 8-9PM 1/2 off Liquor & Drafts (excludes pitchers) 9PM-Close $3 Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pale Pitchers
POWER 102 VIP NIGHT Open at 9PM
Happy Hour 11-6PM select wells, bottles and pints $2.75
Happy Hour- 4-7pm $5 Fridays 4-8pm Most food items and pitchers of beer are $5
$4 Sex On The Beach $4 Sierra Nevada Knightro ON TAP $1 Jello Shots 7-10PM $3 Fireball
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Mon-Sat 3PM-6PM $1 Dom draft, $2 SN draft, $2 wells Power Hour 8-9PM 1/2 off Liquor & Drafts (excludes pitchers) 9-Close Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pale Pitchers
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M O N DAY - FRI DAY
HAPPY HOUR 1 2 P M - 4P M $ 3 SI E R R A & DOM E ST I C PI N TS 134 BROADWAY ST. | 530.893.5253
Buck Hour 10:30 - 11:30 Happy Hour 4 - 8pm
LIVE MUSIC Drink Specials
FIREBALL FRIDAYS!!!! 8 pm - CLOSE $3 Fireball shots $4 Big Teas $3 Coronas
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Happy Hour 4 - 8pm 80's NIGHT!! 8 pm - CLOSE $4 Sauza Margaritas $3 Kamis $3 Shocktop & VIP pint KARAOKE "INDUSTRY NIGHT" 8 PM - CLOSE HALF OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING!(Except Red Bull and Premium Liquors) Specials All Day!
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Call To Rent For Private Party Go DownLo
BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49. 11am-10pm.
$4 World Famous Bloody Joe $5 Premium bloodys your choice of vodka
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BOTTLE SERVICE Now Available! Call for reservation 898-9898
Call for reservation 898-9898 Open at 9PPM
DJ MACK MORRIS 10pm no cover
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Champagne Brunch 11am-2pm Every Sunday $3 Champagne with purchase of an entrée
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117 E 2nd St, Chico (530) 895-8817
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This Week Only...
BEST BETS IN ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, June 18th
Friday, June 20th
“MEETING WITH A MESSAGE” ARTIST’S LECTURE
DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS, JON TRAFTON (STRANGEFOLK)
Local artist Dolores Mitchell and CNR Arts Editor Jason Cassidy are very awesomely teaming up to give a lecture on how to construct Artist Statements with the intention of getting recognition from the press for your exhibition. There’s snacks, and you’re invited to attend at 5:30pm.
Jon Trafton and his band hail from the East Coast, but Jon is coming to Chico to jam onstage with some of our finest musicians. Dead Winter Carpenters from North Lake Tahoe (pictured) are rootsy Americana that will put you in mind of all the nice things in your life: trucks, open fields, wine, and whiskey. 9pm
Thursday, June 19th
Friday, June 20th
1078 GALLERY
LOST ON MAIN
JOHN CRAIGIE & JACK KNIGHT
EXQUISITE CORPS, LUSH BABY THE MALTESE
1078 GALLERY
Exquisite Corpse just got through a stint through central CA, including Lightning In A Bottle. One of their lines is, “I saw the devil on acid.” That’s a little bit what it sounds like, if the devil is in fact a very attractive, slightly over-masculine woman. These guys are groovey, nasty and delicious, and if you go, you will dance. No one present will escape this fate. Show costs $5 and starts at 9pm.
John Craigie is a solo folk act: Timeless melodies, insightful lyrics, poetic turns of phrase, and witty storytelling. He’ll play the harmonica and sing some classic original folk-shred. His voice manages to be fresh, clear, and authentic while still maintaining that unmistakable folk twang. What I’m trying to say is I hate folk and his stuff still sounds pretty good. $10, 8pm.
Other new and exciting things! 16 Monday
t h g i N e e i d La ght own the ni
thursdays
buck11h:3o0upr m 10:30-
No Cover
229 BROADWAY ST, CHICO, CA
14
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
Blue Room Theatre: Bloomsday. Readings, music, and revelry in honor of Ulysses. 7:30, $25
18 Wednesday
1078 Gallery: “Meeting With A Message,” lecture on artist self-promotion by Dolores Mitchell & Jason Cassidy DownLo: Acoustic Showcase. Free, 7pm
19 Thursday
1078 Gallery: John Craigie, Jack Knight. $10, 8pm
Blue Room: Fresh Ink 2014. $10 adv., $12 door, 7pm Chico Theatre Company: Forever Plaid. 7:30pm, Adults $20, Children $12 LaSalles: Jeff Pershing Band on the patio. 6-9pm Sierra Nevada Big Room: Dave & Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones. $25, 7:30pm
20 Friday
Blue Room: Fresh Ink 2014. $10 adv., $12 door, 7pm ChicoIchi: Christine LaPado-Breglie Trio live on the patio. 6:308:30pm
EAT. DRINK. PLAY. Find Out How you Can Play Pool for Only $1/Day!
Chico Art Center: Sal Casa Retrospective Opening Reception. 5-7pm Chico Theatre Company: Forever Plaid. 7:30pm, Adults $20, Children $12 City Plaza: Los Caballitos de la Cancion. 7-8:30pm LaSalles: ‘90s Rebel Show ft. Bob Goblin and Girls Drink Free. 9pm Lost On Main: Dead Winter Carpenters, Jon Trafton (of Strangefolk). 9pm Maltese: Exquisite Corps, Lush Baby. $5, 9pm
21 Saturday
Blue Room: Fresh Ink 2014. $10 adv., $12 door, 7pm Cafe Coda: The Vesuvians, Alien Hellbop, Judson Claiborne, Adam Scarborough. $5, 7:30pm Chico Theatre Company: Forever Plaid. 7:30pm, Adults $20, Children $12 LaSalles: Madhouse BBQ and Live Music Happy Hour Sierra Nevada: Farm To Table Dinner 2014. $55, 7pm
22 Sunday
Chico Theatre Company: Forever Plaid. 2pm, Adults $20, Children $12
LESSONS, LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS! GREAT FOOD! LIVE MUSIC! 319 Main Street (530) 892-2473
Ongoing Events 16 Monday
The Bear: Bear-E-oke! 9pm Chico Womens Club: Prenatal Yoga. 5:30-6:30pm DownLo: Pool League. 3 player teams, signup with bartender. 7pm. All ages until 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Maltese: Open Mic Comedy or Music, alternates every week. Signups at 8pm, starts at 9pm. Mug Night 7-11:30pm The Tackle Box: Latin Dance Classes. Free, 7-9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Yoga Center Of Chico: Sound Healing w. Emiliano. Breathwork, Meditation, Healing.
17 Tuesday
100th Monkey: Fusion Belly Dance mixed-level class, with BellySutra. $8/class or $32/month. 6pm Open Mic plus showcase by local musicians. 7pm Chico Women’s Club: Yoga. 9-10am. Afro Carribean Dance. $10/class or $35/mo. 5:50-7pm. Followed by Capoeira, $3-$10. 7:30-8:30pm Crazy Horse Saloon: All Request Karaoke. 21+ DownLo: Game night. All ages until 10pm Farm Star Pizza: Live Jazz with Shigemi and Friends. 7-9pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Holiday Inn Bar: Salsa Lessons, 7-10pm LaSalles: ’90s night. 21+ Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-Close Studio Inn Lounge: Karaoke. 8:30pm-1am The Tackle Box: Karaoke, 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstocks: Trivia Challenge. Call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts 6:30pm
18 Wednesday
Avenue 9 Gallery: “Carlos Loarca in Chico,” paintings of Guatemalan folklore. The Bear: Trike Races. Post time 10pm Chico Women’s Club: Afro Brazilian Dance. 5:30-7pm DownLo: Wednesday night jazz. 8 Ball Tournament, signups 6pm, starts 7pm Duffys: Dance Night! DJ Spenny and Jeff Howse. $1, 9pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Jesus Center: Derelict Voice Writing Group, everyone welcome. 9-10:30am Panamas: Bar Swag Bingo/Trivia Night. 9-11pm The Maltese: Friends With Vinyl! Bring your vinyl and share up to 3 songs/12 minutes on the turntable. 9pm-1am The Tackle Box: Line Dance classes. Free, 5:30-7:30pm. Swing Dance classes. Free, 7:30-9:30pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm VIP Ultra Lounge: Laurie Dana. 7-9pm Woodstocks: Trivia Night plus Happy Hour. call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts at 8pm
19 Thursday
Avenue 9 Gallery: “Carlos Loarca in Chico,” paintings of Guatemalan folklore. The Beach: DJ Mack Morris. 10:30pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. Free, 9pm DownLo: Chico Jazz Collective. 8-11pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Open Mic Night. 7-10pm. Signups start at 6pm
LIFE IN CHICO
Holiday Inn Bar: Karaoke. 8pm-midnight LaSalles: Free live music on the patio. 6-9pm Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-close Panamas: Buck night and DJ Eclectic & guests on the patio. 9pm Quackers: Karaoke night with Andy. 9pm-1am University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm VIP Ultra Lounge: Acoustic performance with Bradley Relf. 7-9pm. No Cover. Woodstocks: Open Mic Night Yoga Center Of Chico: Ecstatic Dance with Clay Olson. 7:309:30pm
20 Friday
100th Monkey: Acoustic Music Singer Songwriter Showcase. 7:30pm Avenue 9 Gallery: “Carlos Loarca in Chico,” paintings of Guatemalan folklore. Opening Reception 5-8pm The Beach: DJ2k & Mack Morris. 9pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. Free, 9pm Cafe Coda: Friday Morning Jazz with Bogg. 11am Crazy Horse Saloon: Fusion Fridays, the best country, rock, oldies, 80s & top 40. Country dance lessons 9-10:30pm DownLo: ½ off pool. All ages until 10pm. Live Music, 8pm Duffys: Pub Scouts - Happy Hour. 4-7pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dance Party. 8pm-midnight LaSalles: Open Mic night on the patio. 6-9pm Maltese: Happy hour with live jazz by Bogg. 5-7pm. LGBTQ+ Dance Party. 9pm
Panamas: Jigga Julee, DJ Mah on the patio. 9pm Peeking: BassMint. Weekly electronic dance party. $3. 9:30pm Quackers: Live DJ. 9pm Sultan’s Bistro: Bellydance Performance. 6:30-7:30pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
21 Saturday
Avenue 9 Gallery: “Carlos Loarca in Chico,” paintings of Guatemalan folklore. 12-5pm The Beach: DJ Mah. 9pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. No Cover. 9pm Chico Art Center: Sal Casa Retrospective. 10am-4pm Crazy Horse Saloon: Ladies Night Dancing. 10pm-1:30am DownLo: 9 Ball tournament. Signups at noon, starts at 1pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dancing. 70s and 80s music. The Molly Gunn’s Revival! 8pm-midnight LaSalles: 80’s Night. 8pm-close Maltese: Dragopolis. $3, 10pm Panamas: DJ Eclectic on the patio. 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
SICILIAN CAFÉ Visiting the Thursday Night Market? Stop by for our Farmer’s Market Special!
22 Sunday
Chico Art Center: Sal Casa Retrospective. 10am-4pm Dorothy Johnson Center: Soul Shake Dance Church. Free-style dance wave, $8-$15 sliding scale. 10am-12:30pm DownLo: Free Pool, 1 hour with every $8 purchase. All ages until 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Photography by Kale Barker. 5:30am-10pm LaSalles: Karaoke. 9pm Maltese: Live Jazz 4-7pm. Trivia 8pm Tackle Box: Karaoke, 8pm
Do you like Life in Chico? So do we! “Like” Life in Chico, CA
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On The Town 16
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
by logan kruidenier - logankruidenier.tumblr.com
Mr. Dead Potato Head
Greetings, nerds. Apologies for my absence last week, I wanted to focus fully on Christine Fulton’s feature, and also I figured that you’d rather read about a talented local artist babe than read yet another column where I use my 500 word count to say “I’m depressed” in as many unimaginative ways as I can. I’m not sure why I’d waste time being depressed anyway, especially since there are so many fantastic things happening around all the time. Case in point, Christine Fulton’s show last Thursday at the Winchester Goose! The opening was last week, but her fantastic “Meow Meow” series will be there for a while longer, and I definitely recommend checking it out. Another good reason to be in a chipper state of mind is the following news story I read online (a sure sign that it actually happened). A 62-year old man named Ray Tomlinson was on a road trip with his 93-year old mother (Party Town USA), and his (cue double take), 31-year old girlfriend when Tomlinson and his mother realized that the girlfriend who they thought was merely asleep, was in fact, dead. I just want to stop right there for a second and let the fact sink in that the person in the car who was the youngest in the car by 31 years, is the one who died. Once the Tomlinsons discovered that the girlfriend was deceased, they did the sensible thing and kept driving. (Pause here to allow for screaming). Ray Tomlinson did a search on his phone for Michigan morgues, and discovered that he
only had 48 hours to get her body to a morgue or medical examiner. Tomlinson soldiered on, as did Mother Tomlinson. I can only hope that they purchased a pair sunglasses at a Flyers gas station, popped those bad boys on the girlfriend’s face and Weekend At Bernie’d that shit all the way back home. According to Tomlinson, his reasoning behind not wanting to stop is loving her so much that he didn’t want to leave her at some random morgue. My main reaction to this story is that I can’t believe with all the horseshit remakes out there right now, that no one has bothered to recreate the 89’ classic Weekend At Bernie’s. Guys, someone please tell me how Straw Dogs and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory have both been made into despicable horseshit remakes, and yet Weekend At Bernie’s has not. Maybe it’s better this way. The pure hilarity and nonsense of the original will never be diluted by some remake starring Channing Potato-Face Tatum and Ashton Kutcher. I guess I’ll just add this to my “Things To Be Not Depressed About” list.
Comical Ruminations by Zooey Mae
zooey@synthesis.net
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
On The Town
FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 17
West By Swan CD Release Show Friday, June 6th, 1078 Gallery BY HOWL Sisterhoods™ Each song had the feeling of a really awesome jam session, sometimes extending one chord progression through entire songs. The front-woman acted not so much as a focal point as much as one more layer in a colorful indie-rock landscape. Her lines and melodies could’ve been made up on the spot, or carefully rehearsed—that was the effect, at least. It all made for some awesome music, but I wanted more action, more hooks, and more of the singer taking the lead instead of always following along. Sisterhoods™ is at their best when they go beyond their indie-rock comfort zone and use the awesome bank of sounds, loops, and
Fresh Ink BY AMY OLSON Approaching opening night of Fresh Ink, I had no idea what to expect. I’d heard of it, but I’d never been. I knew only that it was to be four one-act plays, written by four local writers, handed to four directors, and performed by four actors apiece. I was also informed (Get it? InFOURmed! Shut up.) that there would be four elements in common between the plays (a word, a sound, an object, and a character), and they would have a Shakespearean theme in celebration of the Bard’s 450th birthday (if he was indeed who people say he was, blah blah blah). The play’s the thing What became apparent immediately was that this whole event is as much about definition one of “play” (to engage in an activity for enjoyment) as it is about theatre. It’s about fun, having a light heart, laughing at the word anus, and engaging in a little scavenger hunt of references, quotes, and commonalities. 18
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 9 2014
textures hiding in their musical closet. One example of their understated greatness is “Extra Life,” which you can find pretty easily on YouTube. A really nice, harmonized synthesizer loop builds the groove, setting the stage for beautiful double vocals from the singer and guitarist Cobby Weber. It sounds like you’re eating rainbow candy and playing jump-rope with Mother Mary. Shadow Limb I can’t clearly remember La Fin Du Monde’s line-up, but I’m pretty sure Shadow Limb is La Fin minus one band member. One of La Fin’s two bassists is now a guitarist for the new group, and has added occasional metalgrowls to his sound repertoire. It’s a good thing. Seeing and hearing their long, atmospheric, very heavy rock songs for the first time left me with little to recall of their actual music, but I do remember the lead guitarist’s guitar tone, because it was the most delicious distortion I’ve experienced in awhile. Drummer Dan Elsen was getting fantastic, resonant tones out of his drum kit as well, which made one wonder why he never takes more of the
spotlight within the music.
been bringing sweet tunes to our little town.
West By Swan
West By Swan plays way too loud. The nature of their songwriting is gentle, touching, and authentic, but the impact was lost upon an audience too deaf to appreciate it. My older, 30 year old sister was at this show too, and she liked it. All the bands in her day played that loud; now she’s accustomed to it. Shrug. I’ve heard enough of West By Swan’s new LP Drought to know I can recommend it to you, and THAT can be enjoyed at whatever volume you please.
Very loud, and pretty catchy too. I remember drummer Daniel Taylor playing drums onstage for the first time years ago, one of those early sets being for The Abominable Iron Sloth. Daniel’s improved exponentially since then, rocking the kit with passion and grace. The two guitarists were sporting glorious beards; one of them was almost completely white! A testament to how long this band had
Resolution – by Tara Grover Smith, Directed by Cal Reese What begins with a strange man typing his strange thoughts on an old typewriter can only evolve into a tale of a strange man who works at a strange company with strange things happening—I think that’s an actual rule. If Office Space and The Matrix took a bunch of acid and wound up having a threeway with Shakespeare, this would be the baby of disputed paternity. Highlights included Shakespearean dirty talk, Cat Campbell in a tight skirt, and me having nightmares about sunglasses forever. Shakespeare in Space – by Matthew Brown, Directed by Stephanie Ditty I’m not sure which one made me laugh harder: this one, or Asap. They were both really goddamn funny, so I guess it doesn’t matter. A mustachioed Betty Burns sells the grandiose warnings of Dr. Butts with gusto, and Katheryn Jackson literally sparkles as Captain Dogberry. I don’t want to ruin any of the jokes, but let me just say there are a LOT of them, and they were right in that sweet spot between dirty and nasty (the anus).
Thou Art an Ass, Orlando – by Saralysette Ballard, Directed by Delisa Freistadt Ann Fox and Nick Anderson share a scene in this play that centers around the reading of a scathing theatre review, dismantling every element of a local Shakespearean performance. Well, scathing might not be strong enough, an eviscerating review that’s full of the most deliciously cruel comparisons. It was so fun to listen to, I was tempted to try my hand at it as a literary exercise, but then I realized people who hadn’t seen the play wouldn’t get the joke. (You really should go see it, it’s a good time.) Asap – by Sean Proctor, Directed by Hugh Brashear
What more is there to say beyond the words “Samantha Perry”? If you’ve ever seen her in anything (including real life), you know she’s hilarious, and physical, and absolutely committed to the bizarre. Add to that the lively and charming performances of Tony Daum, Ryan Chiah, and Thomas Billheimer III, a really fun script, and a play that cannot be named, and you’ve got an evening that ends on a definite high note. Fresh Ink runs for three more nights—Thursday the 19th through Saturday the 21st at the Blue Room Theatre. Tickets are $10 in advance (available at Lyon Books and blueroomtheatre. com) or $12 at the door. Shows start at 7:30pm, doors open at 7:00pm
In The Shadow of the Fire PART 1 OF 2 memorial (məˈmôrēəl): n. Something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event.
It was a beautiful afternoon, the last day of a national three-day-long holiday weekend. A day made for cookouts and appreciating veterans. This year, I’d chosen to spend it tapping away on my laptop while the soft sunlight glowed through the window. Without any warning, there was a loud bang, followed shortly after by several more. My first sentiment was tired irritation: we share a wall with a rather dim teenage boy afflicted by chronic frustrated machismo, so loud, random riffs of thumping and crashing happen on a semi-regular basis around here. These bangs weren’t quite like the usual ones—sharper, more hollow—but I figured he’d just found a different inanimate object to thrash at. However, their quality eventually started to peck at my lizard brain… something wasn’t right. I glanced out my window and saw the shadow of thick, rapidly-rising smoke being cast on the lawn below. Okay. Not good. Not good at all. The banging sounds had stopped by now. Too juiced up on adrenaline to hear Mr. Treme’s shouted advice to stay away from the windows, I ran to the other side of the house and looked out that one. The fence of a nearby unit that had recently been moved into was nothing but flame; the resident manager was frantically sweeping a garden hose at the base of the fire, which was too intense by then to be affected. As I stared, an even bigger swoop of flame crested out of the unit’s upper-story bedroom window.
FUCK. ME. I called 911, where the dispatcher patiently cut me off to explain that they already knew about the fire. By the time the first trucks came, the first 3-bedroom apartment was pretty much charcoal and adjacent ones were well under way. Tendrils of smoke spilled out of gutters, invisible cracks in the roof, and the bases of vents; the ones nearest the fire thickened and became gouts of flame as we watched. Mr. Treme went around turning off everything in the house. I hunted down the cat and stuffed her into her carrier. She, my purse, and my laptop were deposited near the front door, and since we weren’t in immediate danger, I also grabbed the laptop’s power cord and important papers. Next time I’m asked “If your house was on fire, what’s the first thing you’d grab?” I have got that answer so nailed. Circumstances can change quickly with fire. All it would take was a gust of wind in the right direction for our building to be next. As we stood watch by the well-heated window, a firefighter knocked on our door, asking if there were any wheelchair-bound individuals or anyone who might need help in our household—so they could start an early evacuation, he said. That was reassuring and scary at the same time; it was further validation that this was some serious shit going down.
Consider the Platypus by Mona Treme
Cirque Du Solar
save money on their power bills, there’s less strain on the power grid, AND they’re working to bring electricity to Native American reservations where people have been living without any electricity or running water— seriously, none.
BY AMY OLSON
If you want to see if you qualify for SASH, there’s a pretty complicated set of rules and regulations, but the people at GRID are happy to guide you. It’s a process that’s totally worth it if you can cut your electricity bill down to a sliver. (Call 1-866-921-4696 to get started.) For many people, the entire cost can be covered, and for others it can be significantly reduced. They do all they can to help find other grants and raise funds (through events like the one I’m about to talk about) so they can bring solar power to as many people as possible.
You know that big, hot circle in the sky? The thing with the light shooting out of it? The source of all life-giving energy and the reason you buy sunglasses? Isn’t it about time we took a good, hard look at it? (note: DO NOT take a good, hard look directly at it!) For a while now people have been pretty jazzed about the sun—you know, worshipping it, making blood sacrifices to it, naming fruit-flavored beverages after it—and finally somebody realized we could trap its power in solar panels and use it for whatever we want. Amazing, right? We can finally get off fossil fuels and take Ra down a peg while we’re at it. The only trouble is, most of us are poor, and it costs money. Or DOES it? Well, yes and no. Enter non-profit GRID Alternatives. Their mission is to slap solar panels on the roof of every qualifying lowincome home they can, and for at least another five years they have access to a rebate program put together by the California Public Utilities Commission called Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH), which is designed to supplement a significant portion of the costs. There are so many great elements to their work: along the way they provide job training, which has opened doors for a lot of people to enter the green energy industry and improve their lives and those of their community. The world gets a little cleaner, poor people
Which brings me to the real point of this article (finally!): I like parties, especially when they have a theme, and that theme is a cirque, and the proceeds go to a really good cause. Coming up this Thursday (June 19th), all my likes are coming together at the Women’s Club for Cirque du Solar. There will be music by Bogg, Erin Lizardo, and The Rugs, as well as performances by Meg Amor, Everybody In Outer Space (pictured), Samba Sirens, fire and belly dancing… it’s basically an extravaganza of entertainment. On top of that, there will be food and a nohost bar serving beer and wine. Cost is $15 at the door, or $5 for any volunteer wearing a GRID shirt. As mentioned above, all proceeds benefit the non-profit GRID Alternatives in their mission to make everything awesome. Doors and dinner at 5:30, music and entertainment from 6-9.
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3 Reasons To See Godzilla BY EVIN WOLVERTON Sixty years and thirty films into his legacy as Everybody’s Favorite Monster, Godzilla was at rest in a Marianas Trench of a slump. Roland Emmerich’s disastrous 1998 reboot effectively killed off American interest in the franchise, while Japan’s releases slowed to a stagnant trickle. His glory days lay in a stack of VHS tapes. When Warner Brothers fired up the reboot engines, Guillermo Del Toro was favored to direct. Incidentally, he was busy working on the thematically-similar Pacific Rim. The studio surprisingly opted for newcomer director Gareth Edwards, who, despite a demonstrable gift for nuanced monstermaking, had zero big-budget experience. Edwards called in the cavalry with a cast of revered thespians: Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, and David Strathairn. Consider the bet well placed; the results are remarkable. Edwards’ Godzilla is among the most exhilarating disaster films of the decade, fusing large-scale panic, intimate, human drama, and lead-heavy stakes. Here’s why you should see it: 1. Delayed gratification = more gratification Within minutes, it’s clear that Godzilla is gathering for a wallop of an impact, like the shoreline sucking out the tide before the tsunami. But it takes nearly an hour before the titular beast appears. That’s not just admissible—it’s the right thing to do. Classic thrillers like Jaws demonstrate how hard we flip out when we finally meet a fashionablylate threat. Plus, it’s no skin off our watch; Bryan Cranston brings his post-Breaking Bad A-game, single-handedly grounding the first act with a stirringly emotional performance. 2. The human perspective is scariest
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PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
Among the common missteps of disaster films is the use of omniscient perspectives. From a camera floating high above the city, crumbling skyscrapers and sprinting crowds are merely signifiers of a theoretical danger. It’s telling, not showing. From street level, however, the details make it real—glass shattering into wincing faces, the twang of snapping telephone wire, and a glimpse of massive, imminent death from behind a pair of fragile shoulders. Stopping thankfully short of the en vogue handheld jitter, Godzilla champions the
perspective of its human characters to nearly GoPro levels. 3. Action for plot’s sake As the classic franchise wore on, it frequently devolved into meaningless WWE-style monster brawls. Camp-hungry cult followers grew to love and demand the rubber-suit fights, but they set a low ceiling over potential storytelling—and subsequently larger, more serious audiences. Godzilla largely does away with the frivolities, instead weaving its conflicts into a nearly plausible arc about mankind’s recklessness and the checks and balances with which nature regulates us. And while Godzilla is far from a thinking man’s Transformers, it proves you don’t have to be stupid to feel stupefied. In Godzilla we trust. Godzilla is playing now at Tinseltown Cinemark 14. See it in RealD if you can.
Locke
Bane Goes On A Joyride BY HOWL
This movie is 85 minutes of Tom Hardy in a car, talking on his ph— I mean, talking through his bluetooth. So, the unofficial titles of Locke become: How Good Is Tom Hardy? and How Good Is Director Steven Knight? I can hear your answering question: “Who’s Tom Hardy?” He’s the very dumb Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and the very excellent and smooth forger and impersonator in Inception. There isn’t a whole lot to focus on visually here, so every detail is important: Hardy’s sweater is awesome. His Irish accent is impeccable. His beard is great, and he strokes it with intense consternation about two hundred times. Locke’s plot is carried forward exclusively by phone calls Hardy has through his bluetooth (by the way, BMW’s 2014 SUV has excellent, easy-to-use bluetooth functionality. I learned that recently. Somehow.) They take breaks from the excellent dialogues and monologues by giving montage visuals of the night highway in England that Hardy’s driving on. Understandably, they let the film go about a half hour before spilling the beans on all the pressing questions: Why’s he driving? Where’s he going? Why isn’t he home with his increasingly anxious family? Why’s he calling in sick on the eve of the biggest gig of his career? I still haven’t decided if I should give out those answers in this review, so I’m going to avoid the issue while I think about it (The June 12th CNR gives it all away, if you want to know that bad). Back to those first questions and the unofficial titles of Locke: How good is Tom Hardy? How good is Director Steven Knight?
Very fucking good, on both counts. The longer you watch, the more you forget the low budget limitations of one-character-onescene, the more you psychically put yourself in the car with Hardy, hanging on every word uttered. A delicious tension is maintained by a combination of the highway traffic at night, the mounting tension of the plot, and the longer and longer periods Hardy spends in stress and not with eyes on the road. The very solid story coupled with the single character focus has you vividly imagining all the other people involved in the character’s life, so that they become more real and relatable to the viewer than if they were actually visible. An occasional shout of “FUCK!” brings out the Bane we all know and love (he even mentions breaking someone’s back at one point. Awesome). Even the monologues, where Hardy talks with his unseen, deceased father, grow from sort-of-cheesy-but-necessary to eventually becoming the high points of the movie, driving home its potent message. Whew! I fulfilled my word count obligation (You did? Really? -ed) without giving away the plot. Go see Locke so we can talk freely about it.
PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID
On The Town
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JUNE 16, 2014 BY KOZ MCKEV
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
You begin the week coming down from a socially rich time. Thursday afternoon through most of Saturday you’ll be the life of the party with the moon and Uranus in Aries. Resisting the urge to strike out at someone possibly close to you is a preferred option to take. Stay peaceful and surround yourself with the things that make you comfortable. On Sunday you’ll be focused on your values. This is a good time to work on finances and to work on food, a neck massage or a song.
The beginning of a time for travel, writing, working with your hands and getting to know your siblings and friends begins. This is the last full week of Venus in Taurus. Learn to appreciate its grounded sensuality and earthy pleasures. Invitations come to you on Tuesday and Wednesday. Good friends invite you to good experiences. Take the less comfortable surprises in good humor. The moon will be in Taurus Saturday night and Sunday. Enjoy the people around you.
Mercury retrograde continues. Take your time and look at things carefully. Slow is the best way to go. Getting careless will only complicate that which is already too complicated. The karma of love, female friends and watching where the money goes is part of this week’s scenario. You begin the week coming down from last week’s fun growth experience. Your influence is still strong. The sun leaves Gemini for Cancer early Saturday morning at 3:51am PDT. Focus more on values and less on concepts after the weekend.
Saturday morning celebrates and supports Cancer. This week might be best described as “letting go of the stuff that didn’t work.” Tuesday afternoon through early Thursday you’ll feel a sense of adventure. This is your luckiest time this week. Pay off old debts as early as possible. Seek a fresh experience . Don’t focus too much on your past. New blessings are coming your way. Saturday night and Sunday look good for socializing. All in all, look for improvements.
Your week of light hearted partying and seeing good friends is upon you. Monday is good for romance, contracts and negotiations. Tuesday through Thursday are your most sensitive days. By Thursday evening the vibe gets better and you can express your concerns and hopes. Your spiritual life takes a front row seat. Do something to beautify things Saturday night and Sunday. People are concerned with your sense of vulnerability. Good news will be received. Open yourself up to people who seem to have a new view on life.
Take your time and look at things carefully. Mercury retrograde moves back into your tenth house. Career activity becomes activated with information and communiques. Focus on what you want out of your relationships. Demonstrate your talents and skills. Be honest, yet present diverse points of view. Saturday night and Sunday feature exotic experiences and opportunities for deeper learning. The weekend looks good for travel. Be conscious of other people’s will.
Libra
Scorpio
Saggitarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Good news from far away might come to you this week. Don’t be taken in by a promise that has the potential of turning empty later on. Venus moves into your ninth house this week giving you opportunities for travel and education. You begin the week in a playful and open minded place. Tuesday through Thursday make an extra effort toward work, health, and lending a hand to others. The weekend could lead to a more intensified relationship. Friday looks best for romance and negotiations.
Having your eyes wide open can be revealing, exciting, frightening, inspiring, and ultimately soul satisfying. Ask other people for help when you feel the need. Give help to others when it is called for. Tuesday afternoon through early Thursday you feel most inspired while the moon transits your fifth house. The sun moves into your ninth house on Saturday giving you a chance to explore new territory. Saturday night and Sunday could be romantic. Be ready to be smarter.
Your relationship is based on who can lead you to the other side. I mean the other side of your thoughts and the other side of your motivations. Focus on your personal life, your family and your personal ambitions. Thursday afternoon through most of Saturday will be extra fun for you. Be more sensitive to your imagination. Be prepared to allow other people to help you. Explore your intuition. Learn about taboo subjects such as birth, sex, death, and other people’s property.
We need to appreciate our loved ones now more than ever. Begin the week by taking care of business. Find value in all your relationships. Be a team player and prove it. Good negotiation is seldom done in secret. Value good advice, but put any major decisions on hold till July 1st. Be aware of the need for personal romance and peace with your partners. The weekend will put you in a better mood. Take extra time to be with your family.
Koz McKev is on YouTube, on cable 11 BCTV and is heard on 90.1FM KZFR Chico. Also available by appointment for personal horoscopes call (530)891-5147 or e-mail kozmickev@sunset.net
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM JUNE 16 2014
You begin the week strong with the moon in Aquarius. Seek a greater vision of how you can use love to make a difference in lives. The mid week is good for creating resources. Spend the weekend focused on family and community. The sun moves out of the fifth house of creative expression and playfulness to the sixth house of charitable causes and team building. Be ready to do a whole lot more service work. Love what you do and do what you love.
Consider this time to be a place where your sentiment gets a chance to express itself. We move out of simple comfort to enjoy a bigger slice of life. Good creativity requires some risk taking. Tuesday afternoon till early Thursday afternoon the moon will be in Pisces. You are very visionary. Your ideas may soon get an audience. The weekend looks good for gardening, cooking and singing songs. Dance to your own tune. Become more generous.
GREAT
FDR .路 BEAR路 路 WEAR . TUES