Synthesis Weekly – November 3, 2014

NOVEMBER 3. FREE, FREE, FREE!

PLANT SESSIONS F E A T U R I N G

A is Awful. B is Best.

NO

✓ ✓ YES

VOTE

VOTE

ON ON

Paid for by Butte County Citizens Against Irresponsible Government

A B

Volume 21 Issue 11 November 3, 2014

For 20 years The Synthesis’ goal has remained to provide a forum for entertainment, music, humor, community awareness, opinions, and change.

Amy Olson amy@synthesis.net

Creative Director

Columns

This Week...

Publisher/Managing Editor

Energy Plant Session: Western Divide

Letter From the Editor PAGE 8

Tanner Ulsh graphics@synthesis.net

by Amy Olson

amy@synthesis.net

PAGE 4

Letters to Desmond

Entertainment Editor

by Zooey Mae

Arielle Mullen Arielle@synthesis.net SynthesisWeekly.com/submit-yourevent/

zooeymae@synthesis.net

Associate Editor

Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA

Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff emilianogs@gmail.com

by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff

Designers

PAGE 6

Liz Watters, Mike Valdez graphics@synthesis.net

Immaculate Infection

Deliveries

by Bob Howard

Jennifer Foti

Madbob@madbob.com

Contributing Writers

Zooey Mae, Bob Howard, Howl, Koz McKev, Tommy Diestel, Eli Schwartz, Mona Treme, Emiliano GarciaSarnoff, Jon Williams, Sean Galloway Alex O’Brien

PAGE 16

Grave Concerns

By Sean Galloway

Photography

PAGE 17

Jessica Sid Vincent Latham

Consider the Platypus

Nerd

by Mona Treme

Dain Sandoval dain@synthesis.net

Accounting Ben Kirby

Director of Operations Karen Potter

PAGE 5

Solar Estates Interview

PAGE 19

PAGE 18

November Art Report

Owner

Bill Fishkin bill@synthesis.net

PAGE 18

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.

Productivity Wasted

210 West 6th Street Chico Ca 95928 530.899.7708 editorial@synthesis.net

by Anthony Peyton Porter

by Eli Schwartz

pwasted@synthesis.net

PAGE 19

Supertime!

by Logan Kruidenier logankruidenier.tumblr.com

PAGE 20

Kozmik Debris

by Koz McKev

kozmckev@sunset.net

PAGE 21

From The Edge

PAGE 22 FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 3

PET OF THE WEEK

Politickin

Al ice Alice is a mischievous, playful cuddle bug! Alice gets along well with other cats and dogs, making her the perfect fit for any active family that will give her play time and cuddles.

2580 Fair Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 343-7917 • buttehumane.org

Now Hear This SYNTHESIS WEEKLY PLAYLIST Big Sean

Tanner Run the Jewels - “Lie, Cheat, Steal” Liz Ongaria - “Your Rocky Spines” Mike Big Sean - “I Don’t Fuck With You” Tara M.I.A. - “Paper Planes” Dinah Failure Machine - “Just a Little Bit” Andrea Eeds - “Fresh Blood” Alie Michael Jackson - “Thriller” Becca Brand New - “Jesus Christ” 4

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

Maybe it’s my OCD, but I believe in the possibility of a perfect system: one where basic needs are met for everyone, opportunities are open for people to pursue their talents, and things run both efficiently and in harmony with the world around us.

I don’t know if I believe in the probability of any of those things, but I do believe they’re possible. Above all else, I believe that the only way a truly happy world can exist is if people choose it. I believe in democracy.

Deep down we all share the same fear: Fascism. Democrats fear a fascist Right Wing, running roughshod over the disenfranchised with pro-corporate legislation and dictated morality. Republicans fear a fascist Left Wing, stripping them of all rights to improve their lot with redistribution of wealth and regulations, dictating their morality. Maybe it’s that fear that drives us to extremes in the first place, the idea that we can be safe if we beat the other guy to it and become the ones in charge; the idea that we would be benevolent dictators. It strikes me that if we acknowledged our own control-freak impulses we might be able to stop overstepping; we might be able to approach growth and compromise more rationally.

Essentially, I think we all need to calm the eff down and figure out what we agree on, then talk strategy like people who are on the same team.

Over the years my ideas have evolved about what specific changes would have to take place to form that ideal world I fantasize about. And that’s the rub: time and experience will inform your opinions (if you let them), therefore you can never trust yourself to be completely right. There’s always more to be learned, other perspectives to consider, consequences you couldn’t foresee… All you can really do is keep testing concepts in pursuit of a better system, and adapt your approach as new information presents itself.

So, I have political opinions, but I don’t believe in imposing them on others, be it through force or through manipulation.

I won’t ask you to put your faith in my reasoning or values, and I won’t put forward personal recommendations telling you who or what to vote for. I will, however, tell you how to vote.

Contemplate the world as it is and as it could be, and what steps toward it are reasonable considering where we’re at. Read the language of all the measures and propositions, consider the interests of the people who endorsed and funded them and whether you share their goals. Ignore party lines and rhetoric and fear mongering; don’t put your trust in anyone else to do the research for you. Choose your own candidates, honor your own priorities. Think.

The beautiful potential of Democracy is that an informed public, voting with their eyes wide open, can move mountains where they truly need to be moved for the collective benefit. The awful danger of Democracy is that a manipulated and misled public can be swayed to vote against their own interests through fear and fervor.

Letter From the Editor

by Amy Olson

amy@synthesis.net

We Gave Her A Nice Honeymoon Anyone who reads this column with any regularity knows that I’m a James Bond fan. I know it might seem like a strange contradiction, because I have some hard opinions on women’s rights, and Ian Fleming was, by all accounts, a wildly sexist, racist individual who loathed women. Alas, ever since I first watched Licence To Kill with Timothy Dalton, I haven’t been able to shake my affinity for this perennial series. Dalton is my favorite Bond (The Living Daylights is the best), followed by Pierce Brosnan (because I’m a child of the ‘90s), Daniel Craig, Roger Moore (for sheer camp), Sean Connery, and George Lazenby. I didn’t so much mind Lazenby as Bond, but as he was only in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, he didn’t really get a chance to feel out the character (although he repeatedly turned down the chance to make more Bond films).

I know many of you fellow Bond enthusiasts are probably balking at Connery’s low placement on the list, let me explain. First of all, I know it was probably closest to how Fleming must have envisioned his creation.

However, my stance on sexism being what it is (i.e. I don’t share Fleming’s belief that men are “the only real human beings”), and Connery being (by far) the rape-iest Bond, he loses points. Lest we forget in Diamonds Are Forever, where Connery’s Bond nearly chokes out a girl with her own bikini top. And if you’re tsk-tsking me right now for not being able to separate the character from the actor, go ahead and Google “Sean Connery Diane Sawyer,” and watch the interview wherein Connery discusses his position on slapping women. But I digress.

My favorite little jewel that emerged from the Bond franchise was Desmond Llewelyn, who played the original Quartermaster, AKA “Q”

throughout most of the films. This curious man, whose eyebrows resembled a child’s art project of caterpillars made of dusty cotton balls, spent most of his screentime sighing in exasperation and (not covertly) reading cue cards. I’m not entirely sure what my fascination is with him. Suffice it to say he’s like sunshine to my broken brain. Old, doddering sunshine. I think what I liked best about him is his obvious and unabashed love for his role of Q. Favorite moments in Bond films include (but are not limited to), the pigeon doubletake scene in Moonraker, the duck-hat intro in Goldfinger, Licence To Kill when Dario (a very young Benicio Del Toro) responds to Felix Leiter’s question “Where’s my wife,” with “Don’t worry. We gave her a nice honeymoooooooon,” in a way that only Benicio can pull off. And finally, when villian Kananga (Yaphet Kotto) is blown up like a balloon. Exactly like a balloon. Like a Kananga shaped balloon, that (sort of) looks like the actor. Hmm…. I went on for so long about Bond I forgot what I was even going to cover in the first place. Oh yeah, the modified Lotus Esprit submarine car (one of them, anyway), that was used in the filming of The Spy Who Loved Me is being sold on eBay for one million dollars. But, unless one of you has that amount lying around that you’d like to lend (see also: give) me, it’s really neither here nor there. If you need me I’ll be dressing up a neighborhood cat like Oddjob to reenact the fight scene in Goldfinger.

Letters to Desmond

by Zooey Mae

zooeymae@synthesis.net

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 5

Hallowmeme Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA

by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff

“What should I be?”

This question, or some variation of it, is echoing around Halloween City, as I stumble through its over-stimulating aisles, full of zombie masks, sexy-(insert anything)-costumes, superhero suits, and “gangsta gear.”

“What are you gunna be?” “I don’t know what to be.”

But aren’t these the questions—and the anxieties—that are always at the heart of our lives now? Isn’t this project of choosing how to be, and what to be, from this great floating mass of mediated choices, these isles of options, the fundamental project of our times? This project of the self.

Project: Me. There’s bad techno music playing. The options for massproduced self-expression stretch to the ceiling.

A slick-dressed, Mexican-American young man, with a flat-brim baseball cap on tells me he wants to be “Juice” from Sons of Anarchy.

“He’s smart,” the young man says of Juice. “He’s more of the guy who doesn’t really care, he just goes for it. They tell him to do something and he doesn’t ask questions.”

“Yeah.”

“Bunnies?”

“Do you secretly fantasize about being a psychopathic biker killer?” I ask.

“Yeah. Animal costumes in general. Slutty animals. Yeah, slutty animals for sure. Slutty superheroes. You can turn anything into a slutty costume. I actually had a girl come in who was doing the Nun outfit things and she was mad that it wasn’t sluttier. It was pretty much the only one that didn’t have cleavage—because of the collar.

“No,” he says, laughing.

“But tell me the truth, does it sound fun?”

“Mmmm…a girl,” he says.

“Does it really sound fun?” I ask.

“What kind of girl?” I ask.

“Yeah, it really does.”

“Uhhh… just a girl,” he says. “Just a beautiful girl.”

“So this is your chance to release the psychopathic weapons trafficking killer that’s inside of you?”

“Did you have a vision?” I ask.

“Yes,” the man says. “I did. It just came on recently.”

“Are you going to be bosomy?”

“Yeah, and belly-y. Brunette. With a tube top.”

6

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

NOVEMBER 3 2014

I ask a baby-faced employee what’s hot this year.

“Always slutty anything, of course,” he says. “For some reason tutus have been going like crazy. Bunnies.”

“It does sound fun,” he says.

“280,” the man says. “Yeah, I’m gunna be a big girl.”

What to be? What to be?

“Like he smokes people?” I ask.

I ask a big, heavyset, balding man what he’s going to be.

“Now you’re about six-foot-one, twooo…” I prod.

chick” wigs, then around the world, from sombreros to ninjas, to “Mystifying Gypsy” getups.

“Yeah.”

Through the aisles I go. Through the Pimps and Gangsters section, with its diamond earrings, its “grills,” its wads of hundreds, its Mack Daddy Teeth, and its “Playa Cape,” purple on the outside, leopard on the inside, then past the FBI Agent and Police uniforms, past the “October Breasts,” which you can wear and fill with a “beverage of your choice,” past the disturbingly sexualized Hello Kitty outfit for seven-year-old girls, traveling through time, from the “Roaring ‘20s” to the “Groovy ‘60s,” with its marijuana bead necklaces and “hippie

And even the teenage stuff—the not even teenage stuff, like pre-teen stuff… it’s…yeah. Slutty.

We get a lot of [female] teachers. All of them go as clowns.

There basically isn’t anything not-slutty for women. Pretty much all female teachers go as clowns or in men’s costumes.

It’s a pretty limited selection.

Oh, and Ninja Turtles.”

“Are there slutty-Ninja Turtles?

“Oh yeah. Absolutely. Everything’s slutty. Or racist. Yeah, racist too. Like the Native American stuff. Or both: like ‘Slutty Indian.’”

There are infinite ways to answer the question: “what should I be?” They’re overwhelming. And yet they’re so conscribed. And we must choose. We MUST choose. No choice about it.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID

On The Town

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 7

BY ZOOEY MAE PHOTOS BY SESAR SANCHEZ - 365CHICO.TUMBLR.COM

By now you’ve probably heard of Josh Hegg. Even if you aren’t familiar with the name, if you frequent local shows in Chico, you’ve benefited from his work. A member of local jazz band Bogg, Hegg is also a founding member of Uncle Dad’s Art Collective and has helped produce past shows like This Is Thriller, Everybody In Outer Space Lost Their Marbles, and (more recently) Led Zepplin IV. His newest project is Energy Plant Sessions, an ongoing monthly series which records a local band’s set and releases a video of the recorded sessions online. Each release will be celebrated with a Mixed Media Mixer at 1078 Gallery. I recently sat down with Josh Hegg and Evin Wolverton (member of Western Divide, the featured band on the first video release), to discuss the Energy Plant Sessions.

8

How did the idea for the Energy Plant Sessions come about?

Josh: About six or seven months ago, maybe a year, we tried to do 1078 Sessions, and opened up the gallery to have bands play and film it. We actually did one with Kyle Williams and Bogg, and that was really fun. Robbie Reaves was the cameraman and Matt Franklin did sound, and it turned out great, but the crew wasn’t reliable enough so it died out, like so many other things do. Because it’s not meant to be a recording place, Matt would have to cart in gear (a ton of gear because he doesn’t half-ass it), and it was this huge footprint with a nonsustainable model.

I started getting involved with the guys at Energy Plant; they have a studio, and they were really trying to get their name out there. They’re

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

a nonprofit with a full service recording studio and rehearsal space, but the cool thing is that they are federally recognized, they’re 501(c)(3) [tax-exempt nonprofit].

They offset the cost of recording with grants and things like that so that they have the ability to produce higher quality stuff for the artists.

The [Uncle Dad’s] collective started talking to them because they were helping us out with gear and stuff, and we struck up a deal. We thought this would be great because [The Energy Plant] is a space that needs the exposure and it’s already set up to be a studio. The guys there are all super tech nerd-types, and we found a video guy, Vince Nelson, who’s pretty stinkin good. He’s the first video guy I’ve ever worked with that bothers with things like the white balance, and he’s reliable. He’s attentive and thoughtful, and he

was into the idea. So it was one of those situations where the stars just aligned where we got the team, we got the space... the bands are easier to find. We’ve done three sessions now; we do them bi-weekly, whenever those guys are available, and we release monthly.

Tell me about the recorded sets.

Josh: We do 60 minute concerts (the next one is CITIES on Nov. 11), and it’s the first time we’ve done a public event, so people can just go online and sign up to be part of the audience for that set.

Is the audience behind the glass?

Josh: The control room is upstairs, and the audience is in the same room as the band.

So… nobody better sneeze.

Josh: Well that’s the cool thing, during this last one we just did with Kyle Williams there were singalongs and jokes in the middle. It was really cool, and that’s the vibe we’re going for, to make it really lax. We don’t want to hide the fact that we’re recording a live set. So we do a 60 minute recording, and one track goes out in the Session, and one track goes to the artist to use for their own promotion.

What about the rest of the tracks?

Josh: We have them, and if they want they can give the studio a little more business. But to mix it and do that for all the other tracks would be a lot of extra work.

What was the void in the music scene that you saw that the Sessions could fill?

, S R O T A R U C “... , S O I R A S E R P IM ” .

S E T A C O V D A Josh: I think Chico musicians and Chico artists are extremely talented, creative, thoughtful and boundary pushing, but they also tend to be a little Chico-centric and incestual. Everyone’s like “Hey I get to play Cafe Coda once a month,” which is great, but I think there’s a lot of talent here that’s capable of being pushed farther.

These musicians that are incredibly talented could get audiences in different spots and maybe make the jump from hobbyist and local musician to whatever’s next. I think most musicians would say they want that, but it seems like there’s a different skill set between the people that write and perform the music incredibly, and people who know how to sell that music incredibly well, and it’s two different personalities. In a perfect world there should be a room full of

people making beautiful, culturally relevant things, and another room of people who think “Oh my God these people are amazing, let’s take this and push it as far as we can, so it actually makes it into culture.”

Evin: Totally. Like curators, impresarios, advocates.

Josh: The true artists need to just be making art. And the idea with these sessions is that they’re online, they’re available, and it’s high quality, so bands looking to do the hustle and get gigs out of town can do that. It looks a lot better from a booking perspective. So the idea is to push the Chico sound a little farther that it goes currently.

So do you have a dedicated server to release the Sessions on?

Evin: It’s still being built, but the Sessions are being released at energyplantsessions.org, that’s where the Sessions will live. They’ll be really high quality, high definition video, you’ll be able to read a little bit about each session, and there will be a very predictable release on the first Sunday of every month.

That’ll be the hub by which people can take them to the rest of the Internet and say here’s this cool thing, to see the art in town being publicized in a way that’s well represented.

kind of laid back feel to a show… which is a little bit hard to come by in town, especially for a band that has a lot of pretty quiet acoustic dynamics. There’s not a lot of places in town we can go where we’re going to have a captive audience and a space that sounds really good that can sustain a whole set of interest.

So just the setup logistically was really great for us. We were able to perform as well as we are able and it’s amazing how many people are involved in it for how little it feels tinkered with.

Can you talk about what your experience was like as a performer in the Sessions?

During the set, there are people with cameras walking around the whole time, but I think the premise was so well-established that nobody in the band felt meddled with. And on the music side of it—the actual recording quality—it’s just so clear that these guys know what they’re

Evin: I’m in Western Divide, the band featured in the second session.

For my band, for that folk band, we thrive on small audiences and that

doing. I mean while they’re setting up the equipment, I recognize this microphone exactly where they’re putting it, I’m so happy to see that, and not just another duct taped SM57 mic.

What was great afterwards was going up in the control booth; Matt wanted to just go over it really quickly, and let us hear a piece of what it was. He hadn’t mixed anything, he hadn’t added any effects, and he played it through, and it was great. It sounded just as close as it sounded in the booth as I could expect, prior to any kind of sweetening. So beyond how good it felt in the moment for us to play there, I just think it’s really valuable to know that the performance is being well-captured and whatever will come of it is a really accurate representation of what we can do.

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 9

It’s not often that [while] listening back over a recording I’m only thinking about our performance, not about any translation from live room to disc.

What’s the selection process for how you choose which bands to feature?

Josh: That’s something I’ve really struggled with, because it’s a harder thing than it feels like. I’m paying special attention to the order in which we release videos, and which bands come in and when. At its core, it’s basically when it helps the artist the most for tour, albums, things like that. I think­—and I’m conflicted with myself—but my thought currently is that we’re opening this up to more established bands. This is what our scene is currently. It’ll change over time as bands rise and fall or whatever, but I’m not really seeking out newer projects at this time. Part of it is if the artist is ready. They need to be established.

10

They have to be willing to meet us halfway, they need to want to be pushed to the next level and work towards it.

Well they have to give and try to reach out at least a little bit.

Josh: Exactly. And I think that’s the other problem with Chico, I’m the first to admit that we’re a bunch of lazy-as-fuck musicians. We all are.

I sit at my computer and think, ‘I don’t have a day job,’ but I do! I’m a musician. I need to be working towards that.

The other part of it is what genre it is. I don’t want to release folk band, folk band, folk band, folk band. Even though they do work really well in the space. With CITIES, we’re trying it a lot differently. With Western Divide we had them in the front of the room with couches in front of them, but with CITIES we’re striking all the couches, and we’re going to have them in the

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

middle of the room and an audience around them. This space is really awesome, because I can tell that in the same way that I care about pushing bands, these guys care about giving this service. And as far as a DIY project is concerned, I’ve never seen a studio this legit that they built with their own two hands. They have raised floors with acoustic treatment that was all built from scratch, and it sounds and looks incredible. It’s insane that these guys are that talented and that committed, because they’re not making much on it.

support that because I think she’s got the skills to get there. Ave Grave approached me, he’s on my short list, because I think his album is sensational. It’s pretty nutty. Especially for that home recording stuff, it’s beautiful. So I think he would do some cool stuff in that space. I’d also like to get the Mondegreens, I think they’re doing some unique stuff, and they’ve really grown. I remember when I saw them awhile back and I thought they were kind of pitchy, but I appreciated what they were trying to do.

Which bands are you hoping to work with?

Evin: The tour did so much for them.

Josh: I want to get the heavy hitters out of the way. I want to bring in MaMuse, because I think they represent a very big piece of the Chico scene and they represent Chico well. I’m talking with Lisa Valentine, she’s trying to play out of town more and I want to

Josh: Right! I know. Now, I’m like oh my god, you can do that? They’re doing great stuff. I don’t have any band I don’t want, but I’d like to encapsulate the scene I know. And I know there’s more to it. Hopefully people will point out bands that I’m missing... and hopefully they

will understand when I agree or disagree. (laughs).

Anything else you’d like to add?

Josh: I’m really interested in utilizing these videos as a way of jumpstarting things in town, so every month when we release these (on the release day), we’re doing an event at the 1078 Gallery with live music, food, and live art painting.

It’s called the Mixed Media Mixer, it’s from 2pm-6pm, and it’s free.

There you have it! Although the first Mixed Media Mixer has passed (hopefully you attended), the next will be December 7 at 1078 Gallery. Check out the first edition of Energy Plant Sessions at www. energyplantsessions.org, and for more information or to sign up to be a featured band, visit www. uncledadart.com.

Chico’s Elite Instr uctors

Bamboo Yoga Wall

Yoga Butterf ly Atrium Studio

Yoga Wall Classes Free with Membership

Artisan’s Tour

CERTIFIED HEALTH COACHES AT IMF! before

during

after

before

after

1ST PLACE 2014

Food & Drink 4 9E R’S

VS SAINTS

SUNDAY NOV 9TH AT 1 0AM

WATCH ALL THE

GAMES HERE WATCH THE GAMES HERE 344 west 8th St | chico, ca | 530-343-2790

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Closed.

We need to drink, too!

Closed

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints 6PM - close $1 Off Pitchers $5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day

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!

$6.99 Pulled pork sand w/ fries or salad Wings 5 for $3 from halftime 'til they're gone!

MONSTER MONDAY SPECIALS 6PM-CLOSE BEER $3.50/4.50/5.50/6.50 FREE Pool after 10PM

Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3

Closed

$2.50 TUESDAY: Tacos, Corn Dogs, French Fries or Tots, Chips & Salsa and Motzerells sticks only $2.50 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 $6.99 before 6 PM TWO BUCK TUESDAY 6-11pm $2 Rolling Rock, Olympia & Single Wells $2.50 PBR, Coors and Double wells

WING WEDNESDAY! $2 for 3 Wings 8pm-Close $2.50 Fire Eater Shots $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails $5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm

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 $6.99

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints $3.50 Soccer moms $6 Dbl Roaring Vodka

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 $11.99 Philly Cheesesteak $7.99

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM

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 $5.50 DBL Vodka Red Bull $2.50 Kamikaze shots FREE Pool after 10PM

$3 Sierra and Dom Pints $ 3.50 Kamis ALL DAY! Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3 Live music 8-10

Closed

Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Wander Food Truck on the Patio 6pm

Open 9PM Bartender Specials $3 14oz. Slushies $4 20oz. Slushies

$5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day Join us for Beers on our Patio Bar! Happy Hour from 4-6.

for Only $1/Day!

LESSONS, LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS!

GREAT FOOD! LIVE MUSIC!

We open at 12:00pm.

SATURDAY SUNDAY november 3rd november 7th november 8th

319 Main Street (530) 892-2473

12

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

Tacotruck.biz and Beers on the Patio!

6pm-Close $4.50 Grad teas $3.50 All beer pints FREE Pool after 10PM

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints

SMIRNOFF SOURS 10-close

Weekend Blast Off!!

8-close $5 Blasters

Open 9pm Bartender Specials $3 14oz. Slushies $4 20oz. Slushies

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 $11.99 8pm-Close $4 Single/$6 Double Jack or Captain $3 Sierra Nevada Pints 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

$5.49 Grad/Garden/ Turkey Burger w/fries or salad Bloodies $3 Well, $4 Call, $5 Top, $6 Goose Mimosas $2/flute, $5/pint $6 CHEAP Beer Pitchers FREE Pool after 10pm

PATRON INCENDIO 11-close WE OPEN AT 12:00PM MIMOSAS WITH FRESH SQUEEZED OJ FOR $5 UNTIL 5PM.

8pm-Close Pitcher Specials $6.50/$9.50/$13 FREE Pool after 10PM

Open 9PM Bartender Specials $3 14oz. Slushies $4 20oz. Slushies

EAT. DRINK. PLAY.

Find Out How you Can Play Pool

Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights!

PBR $2.25 Everyday!

CLOSED

HAPPY HOUR 4-7PM Beer Week Guinness cocktail specials Beer coozie giveaway at back bar

corners, drinking flowers,

9pm the vesuvians

4:30pm First Friday Happy Hour:

Lish Bills, Dr. Yes, Michael Bone

9:30pm The Rugs, Roy G Biv, Lisa Valentine

337 Main St. Responsibly 530-343-1745 Please Drink

Please Drink Responsibly

F r i d ay 4 - 7 p m

HAP Y HOUR!

THE PUB SCOUTS shirts 2 for $20 while supplies last

WATCH ALL THE GAMES HERE THIS WEEK!

Closed

Go DownLo

BEAR-E-OKE BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

Happy Hour 11-6pm select bottles & drafts $3

Open for Veteran’s Day

2 FOR 1 BURGERS ALL DAY !!

MINORS WELCOME!

CLOSED

CLOSED

$2.50 Select Sierra Nevada or Dom Drafts $2 Kamis -any flavor All Day

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

Happy Hour 4 - 7pm

Progressive Night:

Closed

$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!

8 - 10pm $1 Dom, Wells & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 10pm - Close: Up $0.25 per hour til closing

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM Closed

Go DownLo

BEAR WEAR! 1/2 off while wearing Bear Wear.

MUG CLUB 4-10PM LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM

WACKY WEDNESDAYS (8pm - close ) DJ Party 4 different DJ’s $1 wells $2 calls $2 domestic bottles $6 pitchers of well drinks

Go DownLo

Happy Hour 4 - 8pm Ladies Night!

8pm - CLOSE $5 Pabst pitchers $2 shot board $4 Moscow Mules $3 Jamo and Ginger Buck Hour 10:30 - 11:30

Early Bird Special 9-10PM 1/2 off wells

Happy Hour 4 - 8pm

Early Bird Special 9-10pm 1/2 off wells

FIREBALL FRIDAYS!!!

8pm - Close $3 Fireball Shots $4 Big Teas $3 Coronas

TRIKE RACES! Post time @ 10pm.

Win T-shirts and Bear Bucks.

MUG CLUB 4-10PM

All 16 oz Teas or AMF $3 All Day

1/2 OFF COVER before 10PM

Early Bird Special 9-10pm 1/2 off wells

BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

MUG CLUB from 4-10PM

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM

Happy Hour 11-6pm $3 select bottles & drafts

9pm - Close $2 12oz Teas $3 20oz Teas $2 Well, Dom Bottles & bartender Specials $5 Vodka Red Bull

Happy Hour 4 -7pm

$2.50 16oz Wells All Day

Select Pints $3

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

Happy Hour- 4-7pm $5 Fridays 4-8pm Most food items and pitchers of beer are $5

SMIRNOFF SOURS 10-close

Call To Rent For Private Party Go DownLo

$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!!

4-6pm $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain Buck Night 8-Close $1 wells, SN Pale Ale, Rolling Rock, Dom Draft $3 Black Butte $4 Vodka Redbull

Closed

4-6pm $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain 8pm - Close $4 151 Party punch 22oz.

8 - 9pm $1 Pale Ale & Dom.Draft Up $0.25/ hr until close

Closed

Power Hour 8 - 9pm 1/2 Off Liquor & Drafts (excludes pitchers) 9PM - Close $3 Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pitchers

Open at 9pm

NO COVER LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM

LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before 10pm

KARAOKE "INDUSTRY NIGHT" 8 PM - CLOSE HALF OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING!(Except Red Bull and Premium Liquors) Specials All Day!

1/2 OFF EVERYTHING!!!

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM

LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before 10PM

Opening at 8pm for 80's NIGHT!!

8 pm - CLOSE $4 Sauza Margaritas $3 Kamis $3 Shocktop & VIP pint

$3.50 Skyyy Vodka Cocktails $3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am

$4 Sex On The Beach $4 Sierra Nevada Knightro ON TAP $1 Jello Shots 7-10pm $3 Fireball

$4 World Famous Bloody Joe $5 Premium bloodys your choice of vodka

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

Hot "Dawgs" ALL DAY!

PATRON INCENDIO 11-close

Champagne Brunch 11am - 2pm $4 Champagne with entree

Champagne Brunch and SPORTS!

Mon. - Sat. 4pm - 6pm $1 Dom. draft, $2 SN Draft and Wells Power Hour 8 - 9pm $3 Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pitchers

saturday SHARKS VS STARS

$5.50 DBL BACARDI COCKTAILS

SUNDAY 49ER’S VS SAINTS

$3.00 SIERRA & DOMESTIC PINTS 134 Broadway St, Chico, CA | 530.893.5253

BOTTLE SERVICE Now Available!

Call for reservation 898-9898 Large selection of wines, sangrias and Martinis.

BOTTLE SERVICE Now Available!

Call for reservation 898-9898

NO COVER

Open at 9pm Large selection of wines, sangrias and Martinis.

CLOSED

CLOSED

Open ‘til 1am

Sunday

Champagne Brunch 10am-2pm Every Sunday $3 champagne with purchase of an entrée

Open Monday Veteran’s Day Week!

+ FRIDAY SMIRNOFF SOURS 10-CLOSE + SATURDAY PATRON INCENDIO 11-CLOSE

177 E 2nd St, Chico (530) 895-8817 FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 13

This Week Only...

Fine Dining in the Tradition of Southern Italy

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS TO CALENDAR@SYNTHESIS.NET

BEST BETS IN ENTERTAINMENT

SICILIAN CAFÉ Friday, November 7th

Warm Up The Winter at Sicilian Cafe!

COUNTRY MUSIC COVER NIGHT 1078 GALLERY

WEST BY SWAN, TOUCH FUZZY GET DIZZY THE MALTESE

Farm.

Fresh.

Italian.

Saturday, November 8th

Saturday, November 8th

1020 Main Street Chico 530.345.2233 14

Saturday, November 8th

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

Dust off your shit-kickin’ cowboy boots and come support a good cause for a night of all your twangin’ favorites! With music by West by Swan, Ave Grave, Biggs Roller, The Amblers, Alex Coffin, Fera, and many more, this is a night you don’t want to miss. Proceeds to benefit Jason Cassidy’s sister who is currently battling cancer. 7:30pm, all ages, $5-$10 suggested donation.

SOGGY DOG DAY CARD SHAPIRO POOL

Come have a dog day afternoon (bank robbery not included), with the good folks at CARD and Trailblazers Pet Supply! With goody bags, a biggest splash contest (judged by local celebrities), and raffle prizes, this is the place to be if you’ve got a four-legged furry friend to entertain on Saturday afternoon. 10am, all ages, $15 per dog in advance, $20 day of.

This week at...

On

06

MONTY MORRIS & THE MELODIANS

07

Come catch some loud, crushing riffs with the handsome devils of West by Swan and Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy. We know there’s a lot going on that night, but if you’re feeling the need to grab some drinks with friends and stand in front of the stage while a wall of heavy sound crashes down around you, this is the place for you.

9pm, 21+, $5.

SEAN HAYES THE RENDEZVOUS

With an emotive, soulful voice that’s been compared to both Bill Withers and Ray LaMontagne, Sean Hayes plays music that’ll make you want to kick up your heels while at the same time causing you to feel all the feels. This is one show you definitely don’t want to miss, so throw on your dancing shoes, grab your sweetheart and prepare yourself for greatness. Doors 6:30, $20 advance, $24 at the door.

FUNK RAISER & GROOVEINABLE

08

Main DOORS OPEN AT 9PM | HALF OFF BEFORE 10PM

BANDMASTER RUCKUS, DORADO & BOGART THE MONSTER CD RELEASE PARTY

New & Exciting:

Ongoing Events:

3 Monday

3 Monday

840 W 11th Ave: Endorphins Lost, Icko Sicko, Blight, 6:30pm, All ages Duffy’s: Corners (L.A.), Drinking Flowers, The Vesuvians. 9pm, 21+, $5 The Bookstore: Dennis McNally—Music, Race and the Evolution of Cultural Freedom. 6:30pm, all ages, free

5 Wednesday

Senator Theater: Buckcherry. 8pm, all ages, $23

6 Thursday

Blue Room Theater: Opening Night of Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages BMU Auditorium: Multicultural Night, free with your wildcat ID card. 7pm LaSalle’s: Thurs Happy Hour with Tyler DeVoll Lost On Main: The Ska & Rock Steady Revival Featuring The Melodians & Monty Morris, 9pm2am, 21+

7 Friday

1078 Gallery: Country Music Cover Night 7:30pm, all ages, $5-$10 Blue Room Theater: Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages Crazy Horse Saloon: Country Fest 2014, Dead Man’s Hand, The Blue Merles, Chad Bushnell, Northern Traditionz. 6pm, 21+ LaSalle’s: Fri Happy Hour with Cee Dub, 10pm “The Function” Lost On Main: Funk Raiser, feat Groovinvincible with special performances by Drunken Kung Fu & Brian Chris Rogers. All performances feature artist at large Chris Zanardi.

9pm, $10, 21+ Maltese: Black Fong, The Velveteen Habit, 9pm, 21+, $5

8 Saturday

1078 Gallery: Solar Estates, The LoLo’s, Donald Beaman & The Spirit Molecules, 7:30pm, all ages, $5 Blue Room Theater: Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages CARD Shapiro Pool: Soggy Dog Day, 10am3:30pm. All Ages, $15 per dog presale, $20 day of.

LaSalle’s: Sat Happy Hour with Radio Relapse Lost On Main: Bandmaster Ruckus, Dorado & Bogart The Monster, 9pm, 21+ Maltese: West by Swan, Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy.

9pm-12:30am, 21+, $5 Pageant Theater: Symphony of the Soil, with guest speakers Phil LaRocca and Baji Hangleman.

2pm-4pm, all ages, free Rendezvous: Sean Hayes. 6:30pm, $20/advance, $24/door

9 Sunday

Chico Women’s Club: Anthropology professor emritus Valene L Smith shares stories of her top five travel destinations.

4-6pm, free Duffy’s: Katrina’s Birthday. Roy G Biv, Reunited once again with the Rugs.

9pm, 21+, $5 LaSalle’s: Sunday Funday! 17th annual Bartenders Contest, sponsored by Power 102

100th Monkey: Healing Light Meditation, 7pm-8:15pm The Bear: Bear-E-oke! 9pm Cafe Coda: 1st Monday Jazz. $10, 7-8:30pm Chico Womens Club: Prenatal Yoga.

5:30-6:30pm DownLo: Open Mic Comedy Night.

Free.

Maltese: Open Mic Comedy, 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 (no relation).

Breathwork, Meditation, Healing.

4 Tuesday

100th Monkey: Fusion Belly Dance mixed-level class, with BellySutra. $8/class or $32/month. 6pm The Bear: Open Jam Night, featuring a different live band opening each week. Bring instruments, 9pm-1:30am Chico Women’s Club: Yoga.

9-10am. Afro Carribean Dance. $10/class or $35/mo. 5:50-7pm.

Crazy Horse Saloon: All Request Karaoke. 21+ DownLo: Game night. All ages until 10pm Holiday Inn Bar: Salsa Lessons, 7-10pm LaSalles: ’90s night. 21+ Panama Bar: Tropical Tuesdays ft.

Mack Morris & DJ2K. 10pm 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

5 Wednesday

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 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 Woodstocks: Trivia Night plus Happy Hour. call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts at 8pm

6 Thursday

The Beach: Live DJ, no cover, 9pm Chico Theatre Company: Legally Blonde the musical. 7:30pm DownLo: Live Jazz. 8-11pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Open Mic Night. 7-10pm. Signups start at 6pm Holiday Inn Bar: Karaoke.

8pm-midnight James Snidle Fine Arts: Paula Busch-”Japan.” 9am-5pm LaSalles: Free live music on the patio. 6-9pm Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-close Panama Bar: Buck night and DJ Eclectic & guests on the patio. 9pm Pleasant Valley Rec Center: CARD World Dance Classes. 6-7pm/ youth 10-17, 7-8:30pm/adults. $20/4classes Quackers: Karaoke night with Andy.

9pm-1am University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstocks: Open Mic Night Yoga Center Of Chico: Ecstatic Dance with Clay Olson. 7:309:30pm

7 Friday

The Beach: Live DJ, 9pm Blue Room: Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages Cafe Coda: Friday Morning Jazz with Bogg, happy hour. 10am-2pm Chico Creek Dance Center: Chico international folk dance club.

7:30pm, $2 Chico Theatre Company: Legally Blonde the musical. 7:30pm DownLo: ½ off pool. All ages until

10pm. Live Music, 8pm Duffys: Pub Scouts - Happy Hour.

4-7pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm 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 Panama Bar: Jigga Julee, DJ Mah on the patio. 9pm Peeking: BassMint. Weekly electronic dance party. $1-$5.

9:30pm Quackers: Live DJ. 9pm Sultan’s Bistro: Bellydance Performance. 6:30-7:30pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm

8 Saturday

The Beach: Live DJ, 9pm Blue Room: Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages Chico Theatre Company: Legally Blonde the musical. 7:30pm DownLo: 9 Ball tournament. Signups at noon, starts at 1pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dancing. 70s and 80s music. The Molly Gunn’s Revival! 8pm-midnight LaSalles: 80’s Night. 8pm-close Panama Bar: DJ Eclectic on the patio. 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm

9 Sunday

Blue Room: Nirvanov. 7:30pm, all ages Chico Theatre Company: Legally Blonde the musical. 2:00 pm 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 LaSalles: Karaoke. 9pm Maltese: Live Jazz 4-7pm. Trivia 8pm Tackle Box: Karaoke, 8pm FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 15

Filth and Beauty HALLOWEEN MUSIC AND MADNESS, POST WEEKEND BLUES, AND THE SWEET TOXIC SMELL OF BURNING It’s the Wednesday before Halloween and I’m considering entering into the fray this coming Friday. The annual Pinhead outing at Duffy’s also features the hot new up-and-comers Trox and the Terribles as well as a mysterious, heretofore unknown group called Her Tragic Mistake. But we’ll see. The endeavor would involve me leaving our little cocoon of tranquility and navigating the carcass littered death alley that is Highway 99, bombing south for twenty five miles, and then figuring out how to get back once the debris has settled and the evening is over. The risk/reward ratio is already playing itself over in my spinning head. The deciding factor will inevitably rest on how many beers or bottles of wine I’ve consumed by seven o’clock on Friday evening.

Speaking of the wine, Trish and I split a bottle of the home-made “Erpino Plum” the other afternoon. It is a dark red, sweet, strong wine.

If my calculations are correct it clocks in at around 14% alcohol by volume—towards the top of the scale before the yeast can no longer survive and fermentation stops. Our field test would bear out the strong proof, as Trish ended up having to take a nap, while I wobbled around in the yard for a few hours and forgot myself.

Solar Estates

On The Town 16

PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

I had the chance to sit down with Aric Jeffries (formerly French Reform) and Ashley Penning, two members of Jeffries’ latest musical project, Solar Estates. The interview appears in this issue and I hope you find it as interesting as I did. The band will be making their first live appearance on Saturday at the 1078 Gallery, so be sure to check them out.

Monday Night Madness If you pick this paper up on Monday there’s another rock show happening tonight at Duffy’s—the perfect opportunity to shake off the weekend cobwebs with some sweet music. Corners and Drinking Flowers, two Lolipop artists that combine surf, rock, and psychedelia into sweet, soothing sounds, will be passing through town and playing for your listening pleasure. My own little combo the Vesuvians is opening up the show, so stop by and say hello.

The Sweet Smell of Smoke I can smell smoke in the air this morning, meaning either there has been a tragic fire somewhere, or, more likely, the fire department has finally lifted the summerlong burn ban. I’ve got several piles of brush and deadfall scattered throughout the yard, and a half a can of diesel fuel floating around somewhere. If the telephone gives me the green light, I guess you know what I’m going to be doing with my day.

Life is chaos. Life is tragedy. It is death and birth and re-death and re-birth. It is constant cleansing and renewal; it is utter degradation and decay. It is filth and beauty. Everything we know is wrong; everything wrong is right.

The smoke smell has a toxic tinge to it, and I’m starting to wonder what it is that is burning.

Immaculate Infection

by Bob Howard

Madbob@madbob.com

Mars Ain’t The Kind Of Place To Raise A Kid [Please welcome our new bi-weekly columnist Sean Galloway, offering a musician’s perspective on life and bathrooms] The Satellite in Silverlake has a great bathroom for secret pre-show puking. It’s up behind the sound booth, down a long, narrow corridor, and only has one urinal and one toilet, which has a working, locking stall door.

This is very important. If you throw up before and after every show you play, the bathrooms of venues take on an elevated importance. Is the sound system good? That’s great. They give the bands the lion’s share of the Door?

That’s incredible. They give you a free drink?

Even better. Quick question: where’s your bathroom?

Hotel Utah in San Francisco feeds touring bands. For FREE. From their actual menu.

Anything you want. They leave a case of Budweiser on ice in the little gear-loading alley to the side of the stage, too. For four tired as hell dudes who have been subsisting on granola bars and floor-beds for a few weeks, this sort of Kindness feels like nothing short of being held like a baby. Having said that, it is of the utmost importance to always remember to leave a Safety Burrito from Taco Bell in the car for after the show, wherever you are. Do not fuck this up. That cold little brick will taste like mother’s milk at 4am.

Mountain Bar in Chinatown, Los Angeles is

super appropriately named. The bar itself is on the ground floor, but the bands play upstairs.

Way the fuck upstairs. I’m not sure where they found that many steps all in a row, but pushing an 8x10 bass cabinet up them is a Sisyphean job. Actually, Sisyphus would never play there. Tenzing Norgay wouldn’t assault that stairway. I hate that stairway.

Touring is the most fun I’ve ever had.

And while I should probably tell you that certain Real Factors of Actual Importance for Being a Band do exist—you should always show up for load-in on time; touring bands should play in the middle of the bill; bands should introduce themselves to the Sound Engineer right away and be nice to him (his job is making you sound good, dummy); and please! GET YOUR SHIT OFF STAGE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AFTER YOU PLAY—it’s the quotidian things that happen while you’re not playing that stick with you, or that stick with me, at least. It’s hollering along to Elton John’s “Rocketman” at the top of your lungs with some of your best friends, while you careen down I-5 for six hours to find a place to puke, so you can play.

Grave Concerns

By Sean Galloway

PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY

On The Town

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 17

November Art Report

BY MICHELLE FRENCH CAPTJACKAFTON@HOTMAIL.COM

Re-Thinking What Constitutes “Obscenity” (Again) I’ve been guilty of it in the past, and will be again. So have you. We’ve been “busy”, that four-letter word that really ought to be considered a four-letter word. Such a convenient little catch-all term, isn’t it? It’s a totally plausible concept in our fast-forward society to be capital-b Busy, plus it’s one of those claims that’s highly effective in not inviting further investigation from the blownoff party. Regardless of when or how you invoke the b-word, there’s always an element of truth to the statement… for a given value of “true.” Here are some examples to illustrate: Maintaining friendships is hard. So instead of trying to figure out where things are at with an old high school friend that I’ve lost touch with once or twice, I’ll just focus on creating origami designs on company time and posting them on Facebook. Check out this awesome array of paper TIE fighters at my workstation.

Yeah, workstation—I am clearly hella busy! It’s cool, though—in six or seven months I’ll drop my buddy an email bemoaning how long it’s been, and then not reply to their response.

That oughta work. Yep, friendship is definitely hard.

One word: humblebragging. Life isn’t complicated enough as it is; we must, simply must, turn everything into a friggin’ status contest as well. So let me regale you through breathless monologuing how high-powered and important I am! Oh em gee, so on top of my 50+ hours at work this week, I’ve got this dinner, and some club stuff, and a bunch of 18

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

work dates! How crazy is that? (This often translates into two actual club meetings and going out for Chinese with a coworker, where shop talk and gossip are the sole topics of conversation. The rest of the “crazy” week is couch time with Ben & Jerry while marathoning “Walking Dead”.)

Oh sweetie, the thing is, I kinda perceive myself as just a little bit better than you. So let’s not embarrass ourselves, okay honey?

Just accept that I’m “busy” until you catch a clue and disengage from my frequency. Have I mentioned I’m busy? Gotta go— so busy!

Sometimes, though, it’s not an illusion. It is possible to genuinely overcommit yourself, and it can be hard to tell when you’re doing it. There’s this societal gestalt that lets us think doing four things at once is being all crazy-productive and shit, but the reality is that the resulting quality of those things is usually pretty meh. And if you’ve ever been behind one of those dumb jagoffs who’s very obviously texting while they’re driving, you’ve seen firsthand that some kinds of multitasking really do not fly in real life. (If you ARE one of those dumb jagoffs, I look forward to being amused by the details of your fatal wreck on the news.)

Consider the Platypus

by Mona Treme

Artoberfest has come and gone—a month when painting, prints, sculpture and all things artistic are more prevalent in Chico than jacko-lanterns. The Open Studios Tour is sort of the backbone of Artoberfest, and this year was the 24th year of the event. Since I attended the very first one in 1990 I had a feeling of obligation to attend again this year.

I was able to see my friend Roger Braddy’s Caledonia Art Studio on 9th street on the 25th.

Roger has converted the garage of his 1930s house into a studio. He spent around $55,000 for materials and the assistance he needed, and, altogether, the remodeling took about six or seven months to complete.

Roger is into recycling and his art reflects this. Collages in a group titled Improbable History are images ripped, you might say, from the pages of 1960s National Geographic and mounted on handmade paper. Whimsical “trophies” hang on the walls of his studio, imaginary animals fashioned from castoff, rusted metal parts frequently from bikes.

“Untitled” is composed of the kick plate and drip pan of a 1950s refrigerator that he found in Chico Creek and a bicycle seat. Near this beast, whose bulging eyes are marbles mounted on the oxidized springs of the bike seat, it reads: “The deal here is to get you to rethink your wastefulness on this small planet and to have fun doing it.” Roger is open to appointments. Call ahead at 345-7922 to schedule one.

I went downtown next to look at the wonderful things at Chico Paper Co. where a large area of the store is devoted to a display of Jake Early’s popular craftsman style prints.

While there, I was particularly taken with Bill Di Grazia’s photos of Chico landmarks digitized to make the buildings stand monumentally alone against a moody sky. I was also charmed by one of Miriam Pakbaz’s many works, “The Colonel,” a mixed-media cat with ‘tude.

Across the street at Janet Lombardi Blixt’s Chico Art School a class for children was in progress. The gallery in front of the classroom was filled with things for Halloween—painted skull masks for the Day of the Dead and a giant skeleton with its own costume: a necklace of skulls.

Whatever the topic displayed at the Chico Museum, the presentation is always the same. I’m a patient person, I love to read, I love to learn. But the storyboards on the walls frequently overwhelm me. I find myself wishing they’d just get to the point. The current show is “Mikćʡapdo: This is Our Home, Here We Remain.” The story presented is the same tragic one experienced by all Native Americans: encroachment on their land, loss, and relocation.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the small cemetery on West Sacramento, the one surrounded by modern apartments that serve as student housing. The cemetery is the last piece of land the Mechoopda own. Around the midpoint of the last century Mechoopda tribal elders felt forced to sell the land around it, fearful that, as they were aged, property taxes would bankrupt them. A selection of the titles on the storyboards outline the shameful treatment of the tribe: “A Swift Change,” “A Broken Promise,” “The Lost Homeland....” The tribe was still fighting for justice in the courts as late as 1986. Many artefacts are on display, as well; some ancient, others modern—such as the tumtum: a traditional cradleboard which was hand made in 2002. The show also covers the Mechoopda religion, a celebration of the changing seasons expressed through dance.

The Chico Museum is located at 141 Salem St., at the corner of 4th St. and Salem and is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4pm. The show now on display will be in place until next October.

Solar Estates

BY BOB HOWARD

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth A HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR A MUNDANE PRESENT Of 2014, this has been my most anticipated title. Speaking as a player of an ungodly amount of video games, I do not say this lightly. The Civilization series has always had my utmost respect for its attempts at a more holistic picture of Grand Strategy, and it is a game of empire, dominance, and ruthless opportunism. Imagine Risk, but you’re more worried about your cities, the buildings in each city, the national policies that affect the production of each city, and the diplomacy you make with all the other nations. Imagine strategy that surges past militaristic maneuvering and instead settles on highly customizable nations with working economies, politics, diplomacy, cultures, religions, scientific advances, resources, and land. All of this is wrapped up in a smart UI and made incessantly replayable. Civ, in all its many iterations, is infamous for the phrase “Just one more turn.”

Civ V is the most recent, and unquestionably most popular of the series, which even garnered critical acclaim threatening the legends of Civs III and IV. Beyond Earth has been, and should be, compared heavily to V, for a variety of reasons aside from its high status and recent profile. Beyond Earth heavily copies the interface and ideas of V, as I think it should, but there is a fine and difficult line in this process. Everything taken over from V should be something good, and it should be taken over correctly, yet everything carboncopied over reduces the game’s originality.

Part of the tragedy of sharing V’s UI, , much of its graphical capacity, and plenty of mechanics, is that Beyond Earth is brimming with wild and interesting new ideas, some of which are extremely impressive, and other times contribute next to nothing. Some simply fall flat on their face.

tech tree with an expansive tech web provides a new level of choice and strategy for the player, but also is more likely to confuse the hell out of new players. Not that V’s tech tree didn’t confuse the hell out of new players anyway, but trust me, this will be worse.

“Affinities”, a new holistic replacement to V’s late-game ideologies, add interesting new development and layers for building your civilization, and cool aesthetics to boot. Many of the new ideas are, if not successful, at least interesting.

Many of the failures, however, are bitterly familiar. Just like in the first edition of V, before the expansion packs that revitalized the game, the late-game stages are exhaustively long and boring, lacking the complex energy that the Brave New World expansion gave to diplomacy and ideology.

The ambitious projects that the player must complete to win the game often involve twenty or thirty turns of sitting around slack jawed while the game has slowed to a crawl of micromanagement. But just like V, I know there’re already expansion packs and patches in development. Civilization’s developer, Firaxis Entertainment, is not one to stop at first launch, and for Civ games, expansions are more than just additions, they’re overhauls.

Ironically, this beautifully futurist game has left grand strategy players hoping for newfound innovation to fix the problems of the present, and based on the track record, I’m optimistic.

I don’t regret buying Beyond Earth, but I do find myself going back to V, while I wait for an overhaul.

Productivity Wasted

by Eli Schwartz

The Hindu goddess Kali is the embodiment of creation and destruction. The two processes are intimately intertwined—one cannot exist without the other.

French Reform hit the Chico music scene fast and hard, owning the indie-dance circuit for the better part of two years. Then they were gone. But, the members have stayed close and true to their creative energy, and are pursuing an eclectic variety of musical endeavors. One of these is an electronic project called Solar Estates, the brain-child of former French Reform songwriter and frontman Aric Jeffries.

My assignment takes me to a cottage near downtown Chico where I meet with two of the four members: keyboardist, vocalist, and artist Ashley Penning, and the aforementioned Jeffries.

Right away Jeffries draws a distinction between the defunct ‘80s style dance band and this new project.

“French Reform was a band. We all contributed. Personally though, I work best on my own, where I can spend ten hours writing a song and I don’t have to bounce anything off anyone until it’s to a place where I want.”

The music Jeffries creates with Solar Estates is sparse—more ambient than dance—but driven by heavy, pulsing beats.

“I was going towards something more minimal.” Jeffries sites James Blake, Lourde, and F.K. Twigs as examples of where he’d like to eventually take his music. “[This album] is a stepping stone. I tried to make an EP to transition from French Reform, a more grandiose style of music, to what I’d really like to do in the album that’s going to be coming up, after the EP.” Jeffries describes the eventual musical vision as “stripped back music with dance beats, a lot of attention to melody, and aggressive vocals.”

pwasted@synthesis.net

New ideas like replacing a straightforward

In addition to her recent foray into playing

keyboards, Penning does all the artwork for the band, including the cover piece for the new EP. The original for the album cover is situated on an easel in the room.

It is impressive—about three feet high by two feet wide—and features a man and woman, standing facing forward, with houses situated where their heads ought to be.

Jeffries reflects on the painting and the lyrical themes in the new songs.

“At the end of French Reform I was really concerned about ‘what am I going to do with the rest of my life?’ I’d love to do music, but it seems so hard, it seems so far away.

So I think a lot of the themes in the EP are about, wanting to have a nice house that I own someday, and kids. Where does this all fit in with doing this other thing that I love, which is to play music? How does that all work together?”

The upcoming show at the 1078 Gallery will be Solar Estates’ first live outing, and part of the challenge for the band has been translating their electronic recordings into a live performance.

“We’ve re-arranged a couple of songs, but we’ve been careful to use the same sounds.

We’ve worked on making it bigger and more powerful for the live performance.”

The band will be giving away artwork and track listings at the show, with instructions on how to download the songs.

“It’s all been sounding so good, Jeffries states.

“We’re very excited.”

Catch Solar Estates playing songs from their new EP Call it Up, along with the LoLos, and Donald Beaman and the Spirit Molecules, this Saturday, November 8th at the 1078 Gallery.

820 Broadway. All ages, $5.

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 19

SYNTHESIS ENDORSEMENTS

City Council We’re all about change: Lupe Arim-Law Andrew Coolidge Forough Molina

Proposition 1 Vote No Purported benefits aside, we just cannot get behind a vote that, to quote AquaAlliance, “may remove the legal right to groundwater for overlying landowners.” In other words, Proposition 1 gives the Department of Water Resources and the California Water Commission carte blanche to do what they will with the North State’s water. Nope.

Chico Area Recreation and Parks Department Board You would have to go around the world to find a more qualified candidate than local businessman and Yo-Yo maven, Bob Malowney. We like Herman Ellis, too.

Measures A and B We’re keeping our opinions to ourselves on this one.

by logan kruidenier logankruidenier.tumblr.com

20

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

NOVEMBER 3 – BY KOZ MCKEV Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

This week begins with you having to make tough decisions.

The moon goes into Aries late Monday morning and stays till early Wednesday afternoon. Your motivation level is high. You’re kicking ass and taking names. The full moon Thursday is filled with sensual pleasures, desires, and the need to let go. It’s best to be thankful for what you’ve got. The weekend looks good for being with friends, telling stories and sharing neighborly gossip. Learn to cultivate your creativity, your sex appeal, and your awareness of natural desires.

Your focus is on partnership and commitment, with a sense romance and being a peace maker.

Begin the week by being mindful that things can easily begin to unravel due to something as simple as not getting enough sleep. Venus in your seventh house adds to your desire for love and affection. The full moon in Taurus can put you on top of your game. Mercury returns to your seventh house making you a sweet talker. You are more flexible with your plans. The weekend could produce some extra cash for you.

Keep working with long term goals.

Be flexible, as your work week is a little bit heavier than usual.

Be supportive of other people’s projects as team efforts become more important. Begin the week by actively engaging with your friends and social contacts. During the full moon period it’s best to lay low, otherwise you may discover that you have karma with serious lunatics. Get enough sleep, and help those who need an extra hand in order to get by. The weekend should be great with the moon in Gemini beginning Friday evening and lasting through Sunday night.

If people confront you openly for the things they don’t like about you, you should thank them for not going behind your back with it. Few things are in our control.

Relationships work out best when the other person is free to be themselves. The week begins with responsibilities of the public or career type in nature. Wednesday through Friday morning the full moon vibe is fun and has you in a more social sort of moon. The weekend looks good for staying home and catching up on your rest. Next week will be demanding in a different way.

Make your home a place of rest and renewal. Do things to honor older family members. The karma that you’ve been dealt is making you the person you are today. You may feel more sensitive and introspective. The week begins on a positive note where you feel inspired to learn and discover more. The full moon could give you an opportunity to show off some of your many talents and skills, it also could make the work environment a little more lively. Things that are foundational for you are the same things that you can make a living off of.

Don’t worry about what she said he said. Live in the moment.

Create a space for friends, siblings and neighbors to gather. Be a better listener and get other people’s stories straight. The week begins with a little too much haste and impatience. The full moon encourages you to savor every moment. You may want to go on some sort of sacred journey.

You may even find a new route to a familiar place. Communicate the things that you feel are worthwhile. Mercury moves into your third house Saturday, giving you quick wit and a sharp tongue.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Be confident that you are on top of your game. Seek new ways of improving your career status. Let others see just how talented you are. Begin the week by encouraging inspiring conversation. Find the quirks and points of interest in your local environment. The full moon heightens your intuition and sensitivity. Issues regarding your domestic life or dealing with parents or older relatives may come up. The weekend looks like fun and games from Friday night through Sunday. Let’s just say that generosity and curiosity together pay off.

You’ve experienced enough bumps in the road to know how to deal with a number of situations with wisdom and grace. Good fortune is with you in a way that you haven’t seen in a while. You are in a position where you will do the right thing and those less fortunate will benefit. You might begin the week by making a little extra cash.

The full moon has you dispensing information while trying to pursue your own passions. The weekend looks good for staying home or visiting family. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

The shortcuts to desire often leave us with a cheated feeling. Are you willing to go the extra mile to show the world that you have high values? Are you disappointed with the minions following the heavily advertised consumer habits of the day? The way you spend your money is more important than the way you vote. The full moon can ignite deep desires. Your issues around birth, sex, death, and other people’s property might come up.

The weekend looks good for a trip out of town, a chance to focus on studies and a new idea for making money.

You are known for being resourceful, as well as having a good imagination. Both Cancer and Scorpio have claws of attachment.

Attempt to liberate yourself from all but necessities and heartfelt values. Recreate in nature. Let the wilderness be your guide. Begin the week with a focus on service work and detail. The full moon will bring romance, sensuality and sex appeal. Awaken the senses. Be with someone worthwhile. Mars with Pluto in the third house can ignite your passion for learning, being with soulmates and tuning in to your environment.

The week begins on a positive note. You may be able to turn some of your paranoia into gold.

You’ll have imagination and creativity working in tandem with each other. Jupiter in the ninth house allows you to see things as you never saw them before.

Keep a dream journal and pay attention to what symbols strike you as meaningful. The full moon highlights your sixth house of charity work, service jobs, personal health, uncles and aunts, and small pets. You’re likely to have a heavier workload.

The weekend looks good for romance and negotiations.

With Pluto and Mars transiting your first house you have become one handsome devil or one sexy temptress. You need to take action. You want to be a leader of social justice or at the very least good business practices. Good friends are available to support you in your endeavors. The first part of the week deals with family and home life. The full moon allows you to have a little fun, and to get in touch with matters of the heart. The weekend looks good for work, group projects or perhaps rest and recuperation after an exciting full moon.

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

GREAT SHORT STORIES

Lotus Land, written by local writer William Wong Foey Local writer William Wong Foey author of best selling novel: Winter Melon releases his new book Lotus Land, a short story collection of bold and amazing stories of desire, despair, courage, and redemption. Available at Lyon’s Book Store at 135 Main (Chico) and in paperback & e-book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, & Direct Music Cafe.

A special thanks to all the people who purchased my debut novel: Winter Melon.

ADVERTISMENT

LIFE IN CHICO Do you like Life in Chico? So do we! -“Like” Life in Chico, CA facebook.com/ChicoCA FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 21

TEOTWAWKI The End Of The World As We Know It. I found that abbreviation (unless I try to say it as an acronym) on a survivalist website when I was browsing “moneyless societies.” Moneyobsessed society we know well, and it sucks there’s room for improvement.

Janice didn’t much like money and would have loved to live without it. Based on our bank balances over the years, she damn near did. She liked to barter, introduced me to thrift stores, and I bet would like Copiosis. I hardly ever guess about what Janice would or wouldn’t like or think, but I’d put money on this one, at least for the time being.

A friend mentioned Copiosis some months ago as an economic system without money, which it is, mostly. It also incorporates a variety of anarchism, and that self-reliance, freedom, and shared responsibility appeal to me even more than killing the Federal Reserve Bank, which appeals to me a great deal.

I’ve been talking and conference-calling about Copiosis for a while now, and I’m only just starting to think I might know a couple of things. First, it’s enormously complex.

Everything depends on the Algorithm (from a book by Al Khwarizmi, the Persian scholar who invented refined algebra and explained Hindu numbers and mathematics), the formula that attempts to quantify social reputation for every person. That’s right.

The idea is that we’d all be rewarded individually by society to the extent that each of us benefited other people or the Earth. How can that be reasonable and fair? That’s what we’re trying to find out.

Fortunately, it’s also open-source, and enough people can handle the data involved. Actually, that everything about Copiosis is open22

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 3 2014

this

source and available for anybody’s scrutiny makes a big difference to me. There’s so much government secrecy, from the National Security Agency to the Chico Silly Council, that complete transparency—I think government employees’ pay rate should be on their uniforms and i.d.—is all I’m interested in.

Copiosis requires no government. Nobody’s in charge of Copiosis, even now. There’s a founder, and a little working group and that’s about it, maybe fifteen people. The founder, Perry Gruber, directs things more or less, but just barely. Things are starting to stir, and I suspect he’s mostly just keeping up. The plan calls for some sort of organization to assign each person’s reward as determined by the Algorithm, but the people involved have no authority and no other responsibility.

Copiosis also promises that everyone be provided at no cost what are considered the necessities of life—healthcare, clothing, education, shelter, and food. It sounds far out, and that’s fine with me. It’s got to be far out to be worth a damn. Fiddling with the system we’ve got is like painting a sinking ship.

Frankly, I’d be surprised if a Copiosis society as planned ever thrives worldwide. I’d also be surprised if Copiosis doesn’t turn out to be the impetus for big changes in the way we do things. The discussions I’ve had and the little I’ve read make me think that, win or lose, Copiosis is an idea worth refining.

Perry Gruber is gonna talk at 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway in Chico, Wednesday, November 5, at 6. Come decide for yourself, before the SHTF.

From The Edge

by Anthony Peyton Porter A@anthonypeytonporter.com

We’re looking for an advertiser who’d like to take a dedicated spot next to From The Edge!

If you’re interested, please contact: A M Y @ SY N T H E S I S . N E T

LOOKING FOR

THE HOROSCOPES? << CHECK PAGE 21