Happy Halloween(s)!

Death Star Pumpkin found @ Bloomington Area Music

As a kid, I thought it was pretty cool having just the one Halloween, but apparently adults get to have a bunch of Halloweens that all fit their schedules.

This year, All Hallow's Eve is on a Sunday and for us grown ups with Mon-Fri (9 to 5) type jobs that . . . doesn't quite work.

Thankfully, there are a ton of Halloween themed shows/dance parties/costume contests going on throughout the Sacramento area that you non-kids are bound to find something to do.

And to help you, I've put together a Halloween guide for you to help you make a decision!

FRIDAY

Dance Party:

Fuck Fridays and Scion are presenting a two-floor Haunted House at the Townhouse Lounge. Downstairs DJ Shaun Slaughter will be spinning electro/house/dance music and Portland dance band STRENGTH will be performing live as well. Upstairs DJ Roger will be spinning and there will also be a special performance by San Francisco's Still Flyin'! 

Tickets are still available at Bows and Arrows in Midtown but not for long. Get yours now and soon because it guarantees entrance into the party.

Indie Rock/Pop:

Goodness Gracious Me Haunthouse Party (CD Release) w/ Phantom Jets & Musical Charis -- 9 PM - 1 AM

Old Ironsides | 10th and S | $7 

SATURDAY

Dance Party!
The Nightmare on **th Street -- 10 PM - 5 AM
DJs Whores and Riff Raff, Unite, Kris Ward and many many more performing in a secret space - 2 rooms totaling 10,000 sq. feet!

(location to be revealed...)

Punk/Metal/Rock
Zombie Holocaust -- 9 PM - 2 AM
Drastic Actions, The Number Thirteen, Lessons in Failure, Black Mackerel, Psychosomatic -- Costumes Mandatory!

On the Y | 670 Fulton Ave. | Sacramento 

Octoberween -- 6:30 - 10:30 PM

Dirty Filthy Mugs, Skouts Honor, Nate of America, Point of View

Plea for Peace Center 630 E. Weber Ave. | Stockton

Mellow/Folk/Pop

It Was the Night Before Halloween . . . -- 9 - 11:30 PM

David Houston, Christopher Fairman, Earl Brooks

Luna's Cafe and Juice Bar | 1414 16th Street | Sacramento

SUNDAY

Trash Film Orgy Presents *Heavy Metal Halloween" -- 8 PM - 12 AM

Games, Costume Contests, Prizes, LIVE stage shows and a screening of "Trick or Treat" (1986).

Crest Theater | 1013 K Street | $10

Dead Rock Stars Annual Halloween Rock Show -- 8 PM - 12 AM

Local bands performing classic songs by their favorite dead rock stars: Breaking Glass, Jet Black Popes, and more!

Old Ironsides  | 10th and S | $8

Rocktoberfest - Helloween!  -- 9 PM - 12 AM

Children of the Grave, Lite Brite, Walking Spanish, Babs Johnson Gang

Townhouse Lounge | 1517 21st Street 

Whew! I'm sure there is a bunch more going on! 
Hope you find something fun and SPOOOOOKY to do this Hallo-weekend!

Nebraska Mondays

I was completely blown away by the performances at last night's Nebraska Monday at Luna's Cafe in Midtown. 

I didn't even know what to expect. I heard about the weekly Monday night jazz/spoken word/experimental music series only because my boyfriend was scheduled to DJ in between sets.

This went beyond expectation. 

The caliber of musicians, the price of the event [ranging anywhere from $5 and up - basically whatever you can spare], and the spirit of the room and venue made this probably one of the best night's I've experienced since moving to Sacramento.

I'll go into the separate performances in a bit, but first I have to talk about the intimacy of the setting. Luna's Cafe and Juice Bar is by far one of the best venues for this kind of music in the area. It's small, warm, and inviting. Not to mention they have an amazing menu with simple dishes [veggie/vegan friendly] that won't break the bank. For $10 you can pay to get in, order a nice glass of wine, and enjoy music I promise you've never heard before.

Hosted by jazz musician and one-half of the talented duo ElectroPoetic Coffee, Ross Hammond booked three acts that all embodied the creative essence of musical exploration.

First up was Daryl Shawn, a solo artist and guitar player who began playing at the age of 16, and continued his musical education at the Berklee College of Music. His influences range from jazz to African and classical.

Last night, he strummed, recorded, and mixed his music live using a pedal, and an audio and mixing board. He twisted and distorted his recordings and ended up sounding like a full experimental band!

Ken Kawamura - Saxophone; Tony Passarell -
Saxophone; Gerry Pineda - bass; James Neil - drums

The Ken Kawamura Quartet followed up with some of the best saxophone solos I've heard in a really long time. Each solo explored an extensive range of notes and technique.

It was moody, exploratory, at times explosive jazz. It was Lynchian. It was Fred Madison at the Luna Lounge. *Note* Ken Kawamura hadn't named his last two pieces and decided at that moment to name them both "Revenge" - dedicated to his ex-girlfriend.

Last up was the Steuart Liebig Trio, which consisted of Ross Hammond on guitar, Tom Monson on the drums (BTW - he's the drummer for CAKE right now), and of course Steuart Liebig on bass.

Liebig was a thrilling bass player who has a full and varied musical career, and who also had quite the electronic set up for just one instrument. He had at least 8-10 pedals that he used to distort and the change of the effect of the bass sound.

What was extremely inspiring about this performance were the solos of all these musicians. Their entire set was evocative, and really showcased their individual as well as collective talent.

If you are looking for something, ANYTHING, to do on a Monday night, please check out Nebraska Mondays at Luna's Cafe. Every week there is new line up of exciting music, and poetry/spoken word performances. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

>> For more photos from last night, go to Paduta's Facebook <<

Neo Crocker | A Modern Culture Party (Recap)

The view of the Neo Crocker Modern Culture Party

Okay so I got lucky . . .

I got a free ticket to the first major event at the new Crocker Art Museum since the grand opening. It was a hefty ticket price [$75 presale/$95 at the door] and it wasn't until I arrived that I understood the high cost.

When you walked in, in front of you short films were projected on one of the sides of the museum. DJ Shaun Slaughter was spinning records as fire dancers performed on the main stage.


There was laser show, a huge bar, waiters walking around with delicious hors d'oeuvres, and this is just what was going on as you arrived! Guests were dressed up and I'm not only talking about looking fancy - some folks were wearing extremely eccentric and artistic outfits - one man wore a jacket covered with watches.

A few separate events were going on inside the museum itself as well. On the ground floor early on there was a fashion show and music.

RJD2 (picture left) opened his show at 11 PM with the Mad Men theme "A Beautiful Mine" and continued for the rest of the night performing his other popular tracks and doing some classic DJing as well as the rest of us danced our butts off!

As awesome as all of this was (and oh, it was!), I was most impressed and moved by ElectroPoetic Coffee's performance on the third floor - which happened to also be in my favorite room in the new museum.

This extremely creative duo is made up of jazz musician/guitarist and host of improvisational music series Nebraska Mondays at Luna's Cafe Ross Hammond and poet/spoken word artist and neo folk singer NSAA (pronounced "en-sah-ah").

The combination of moody electric guitar and smart, insightful poetry in the art museum setting created a memorable experience that was extraordinary and memorable. One of the audience members was actually moved to tears by ElectroPoetic Coffee's music and words. I highly recommend checking out this duo as well as their separate work.

See them soon at:

Phono Select Records
Tuesday | Oct. 19th | 7 PM

24th Street Theater (LA)
Friday | Oct. 22nd | 7:30 PM

Sol Collective
Saturday | Oct. 30th | 9 PM


All together the event was exciting and vibrant. Keep an eye out at Crocker's website to see when new events and shows are happening!


>> Check out the rest of our Neo Crocker photos on Facebook <<

Spreading the 'Video Love' | Terroreyes.tv

"Terroreyes is an experimental video platform for documenting things that we like - getting in the faces of people that we like, having our microphones blown out by people that we like, hearing stories from people that we like, etc. All we want to do is show you things you may never otherwise see UP CLOSE. Inspire you in whatever way possible to do something - anything, whatever it is you love."


Zach Hill "on blast" 2 from TERROREYES.TV on Vimeo.

Terroreyes.Tv was launched a little while ago and already they have collected an amazing bunch of videos. Take this filming of Zach Hill (whose new album Face Tat comes out Oct. 19th on Sargent House): twelve solid minutes of Hill going to town (awesome town) on those drums! Not to mention they have video performances of local bands Sea of Bees, Pregnant, and Ellie Fortune and far out folks like Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors, and Wavves.

From what I've been able to watch thus far (and trust me, I've only made a dent in their catalogue), Terroreyes is living up to their mission. I've been introduced to music and bands I've never heard of before, and watched extremely special videos of acts I already know and love.

Think La Blogotheque but in English, and in Sacramento.


WAVVES Live @Sol Collective 8.30.10 from TERROREYES.TV on Vimeo.

Recently, Terroreyes has branched out of the internet world and started to put on shows. Monday, for example, they co-presented Wavves, Ganglians, G. Green and Produce Produce with free form community radio station KDVS at the Sol Collective arts center. Judging by the footage above, the show was packed with excited fans.

Not only that, but T.E. is releasing their first 7'': Tera Melos' "Frozen Zoo" remixes from their full length album Patagonian Rats (Sargent House).

Only 500 pressings available and for only $7.50 it comes with a digital download code, and, according to T.E., a smile.

>> BUY NOW <<

Go take a little time and check out this website/label?/collector of video rarities out. Chances are you'll be introduced to something new and different that hopefully inspires you to do and see the things you love.

I'll be sure to keep you all apprised of future Terroreyes events!

2010 Sammie Nommies!

DJ Blackheart Photo by David Jayne

Yesterday Sacramento News & Review posted this year's list of Sammie Award Nominees!

Quite a few folks had something to say about some of the choices, and moreover those who were NOT chosen. But, like any list of nominations, somebody gets left out. And quite frankly, the public had a chance to vote their favorites in. So if some band/DJ/dance night got missed  you can't really blame the folks who put on the Sammies.

I'd have to say that this is actually a pretty solid year: DOOMbird, Sea of Bees, Random Abiladeze, The New Humans, G. Green, Tribe of Levi, Lite Brite, Sister Crayon and DJ Mike Colossal. 

And not one but TWO punk bands made it into the Hall of Fame: 7Seconds and The Secretions.

Voting Begins September 2nd

Winners will be announced October 9th 

More Info @ Sammies.Com

Clay Nutting: Reaching Out through Music

In 2002, Clay Nutting began the Sacramento chapter of Concerts 4 Charity, a non profit organization whose mission is to raise money for music and arts education.

Since then Clay Nutting, with a highly dedicated staff, collaborative partners (like Adam Saake who helped organize the Sac Electronica Festival) and local like-minded musicians, has put together some amazingly eclectic shows, donated guitars to 450 kids and taught them how to play, and today they continue to expand their outreach.

As an audiophile who attended concerts since adolescence (his first being Huey Lewis and the News), Clay is constantly driven to put on the next great show. And according to him in order to beat a bad economy and a societal ethos that he says is too easily "captivated by Thursday night television" it is important to make every show special.


What's the first step: put together a diverse line up that draws a crowd.

CN: There are some people who aren’t that interested in the indie music scene in Sacramento but they’ll come out for John Vanderslice, [and] once they’re there they see DOOMbird open and that knocks their socks off and then Sea of Bees – how can you not like them. All of a sudden you’ve bread or cultivated this group of people who may have come out to support John Vanderslice but are now supporting the local music scene that they may not have been connected to before.

TNHZ @ the Townhouse | Aug 21st
>>Buy Tickets<<

Take for example C4C's Ballet + Live Local Music event coming up September 17th at the Crest Theater. After the success of their first show in 2007, this year's contemporary ballet will be performed with music by local acts like DOOMbird, Sister Crayon, Drifting Shapes, and Exquisite Corps.

Or one of the newest projects in the works: an adaptation of the classic Peter and the Wolf featuring Harley White Jr. Utilizing famous jazz performers as representations of instruments the goal is to encourage and invigorate jazz education.

This is what Clay is talking about by making the show "special." Create an event that brings people of different interests and tastes together to get them exposed to music or arts they wouldn't regularly be exposed to.

However special the show, C4C also puts together a cohesive marketing strategy to help spread the word. The trick is, it is a delicate balance according to Clay. You have to "tell the story of the show without overwhelming and turning people off by over promoting." 

It would appear in the age of social networking that online promotion is the best way to get people interested in your band, show, etc. It's quick and easy. Using your phone you can post on your Facebook wall, update your MySpace status and Twitpic your show photos on your lunch break. From Clay's experience, however, this is still not enough.

DOOMbird @ Harlow's | Aug 29th
>>Buy Tickets<<

CN: Social media has become a crutch for a lot of people. They think they can put it on Facebook and MySpace and people will “know” about it [the show]. But I think the opposite is true. I think it compliments a whole promotion strategy, have something that someone might see out at a coffee shop, then they see it online and then you shake their hand at Concerts in the Park, for example and say "hey I’m doing this thing" and then all of a sudden it all comes together and they are more likely to come out. 

A key promotional tool, outside of social networking, that Clay uses to catch the eye and interest of people around Sacramento are posters with original art.

CN: I have really cool people doing poster design like Asbestos Press and Melissa Arendt. They bring a whole other element to it because there are people who like music and there are people who are visually turned on by the design and check out the music later. And many of the artists develop an identity by doing it [designing poster art].

By infusing art with music, concerts with fundraising, Clay Nutting and the rest of the C4C's staff and supporters have truly created an important support system for local music and arts education. And despite the frustrations of running a non profit in a recession, of drawing people to events and inspiring them to buy tickets, Clay is positive and driven.

ChkChkChk @ Harlow's | Sept. 13th
>>Buy Tickets<<

CN: I think the music in our community is very strong. You just have to sometimes look harder. [But] If you’re not happy with the amount of people who are aware of the music and arts community find ways to bring them into it. I take it upon myself and my friends to bring other people in.

As a promoter you focus on the scene as a whole. [The plan is to] throw out this net and hope people come but really you have to pay attention to the people who influence – ask them to help you, even if it's not your show, to bring people out. Support the Verge Gallery, support a show at Old Ironsides, at Press Club, at Townhouse. Wherever there’s music going on, bring someone out and hopefully increase the number of people that are excited about the community.

So for a guy who loves music and knows how to put on a great show, I was curious: if he could put together a music festival here in Sacramento, who would he book?

I should point out, when I asked him this question he agonized over his answer. He became quiet and intensely pensive.

CN: It's painful for me because in my mind I need to put together the perfect bill.

After a few moments, he threw out some names, suggested that he would take over a few city blocks in the Midtown/Downtown area and then stopped - stumped and looking a little defeated.

Later that day, I went through my Facebook Inbox and found a message simply headed "I thought about it..." sent ten minutes after I left our interview. Here's what he came up with (with a little added flare on my part):

Be sure to check out Concerts 4 Charity and one (or ALL) of their upcoming shows!

You Love Our Scene

And here's why:
Weekend Show Edition!

Friday July 23rd

Lite Brite the very loud and very awesome three piece band from Sacramento will be headlining this Friday's Concert in the Park Series.

With them will be fellow indie rockers Prieta (who says they are in a relationship with Lite Brite on Facebook) and Musical Charis (whose debut album People People is being released by JMB Records the very same day!).

Come on out, eat some great food, and watch three amazing local bands at Cesar Chavez Park in Downtown Sacramento.

5:30-8:30PM - ALL AGES - FREE!!!

Mike Colossal's Birthday Bash 

If it's too hot for you, come out to Butch N Nellie's coffee shop for a birthday party you don't want to miss. Mike Colossal will be doing live mixing and scratching with fellow Sacramento hip hop artists Poor from Tribe of Levi and Mr. P Chill, along with the rest of the Velvet Wax crew!

Have an iced coffee or a cold brewski and celebrate local influential hip hop!

Saturday July 24th

Boats the punk/powerpop group are releasing their "Totally Jawsome" LP and performing at Luigi's Fungarden this Saturday to spread the word. This three piece band is becoming a fixture of the Sacramento music scene. Their tunes are loud, energic and a lot of fun!

To celebrate the release, local punk icons The Secretions will be performing along with Bastards of Young and Ashtray.

All and all it should be a loud, explosive night. Get there early, grab a beer and a slice and have a blast!

7PM - ALL AGES - $5

Also Coming Up:

*Jerry Perry Presents* with:
Be Brave Bold Robot, Odame, Secret Argyle, & Jem and Scout

Old Ironsides - 1901 10th St. - Sacramento

9PM - 12 AM | 21+ | $7

*Concerts4Charity* Benefit Concert at Beatnik 

Supporting the McClatchy Music Program Boosters with:

Musical Charis, Prieta, Lite Brite, & Goodness Gracious Me

Beer By Sudwerk

Beatnik Studios | 2421 17th | 5PM

YLOS: Agent Ribbons

And here's why...

Agent Ribbons Natalie Gordon, Lauren Hess, and Naomi Cheri are not only vintage enthusiasts, with a sound Amanda F. Palmer would be proud of, they are from Sacramento!

Well, actually they were from Sacramento. After becoming the sweethearts of the Capital City, they packed their bags and moved to Austin, Texas to explore and hopefully expand their career.

Apparently it was a good move, because Agent Ribbons and their song "I'm Alright" are featured on today's edition of NPR's All Songs Considered.

Host Robin Hilton says the girls describe their sound as "minimalist cabaret garage pop" and that it's unfortunate their latest album Chateau Crone (Antenna Farm Records) won't be released until October because he thinks it is a "perfect summer record."

Check out this video directed by Chelsea Wolfe* 

*Hint* Chelsea Wolfe is ALSO from Sacramento.

The Unsigned Experience 3 - DJ Mike Colossal

Sacramento's DJ Mike Colossal has been scratching for over ten years. His knowledge of music from all genres is astounding. This is a young man who can mix together everything from Metalica to Notorious B.I.G., Le Tigre to traditional mariachi.

He is quickly becoming a staple of the local hip hop community and has recently opened for a number of iconic hip hop acts - most recently Busdriver at the Blue Lamp. 



Not only that but as a member of the LBGT community, he is looking to create socially conscious hip hop music that doesn't glorify hate speech toward anyone based on their sexual orientation.

Mike Colossal will be performing at his very own Birthday Bash at Butch n' Nellies coffee shop on Friday July 23rd along with other local hip hop performers like Poor from Tribe of Levi, Mr P Chill and the Velvet Wax.

A few weeks ago, I asked him some questions about his career as an unsigned artist, the local scene, and how to make it without a label.

How did you start getting booked for gigs? What was your first professional gig?

I started booking gigs through my campus radio station called KSSU and through a local promotion company called 12s Wax. I volunteered at the station as a radio deejay and as part of the management team. The two joined forces: KSSU sponsered the flyers, brought promotional goodies, etc. 12's Wax booked the gigs and took care of security and money. My first gig was at the second version of the Capital Garage in Sacramento. There I would scratch, mix and play the latest hip-hop, with some breaks and funk.


What web tools do you use to promote your music?

Originally, MySpace was a huge part of promotion. I would post bulletins promoting the show using three different accounts. I would write new bulletins each time, add new YouTube videos of either myself or of featured artists who were going to be present, added my artist profile songs in to give people a taste of my music.

Facebook today isn't as kind to artists as MySpace is. When I do shows I tell people to check out my MySpace or Twitter accounts. MySpace is like having my own website and Twitter gives a real feel of connection. I don't post a lot of BS since I have to keep it poignant. I tell them about my shows, let them know what I'm working on.

I use zSHARE to save my music and send it to other artists to collaborate on. Or, I upload my mix on there and post the link on MySpace and people can download it for free.


What other kinds of media do you use (audio, visual, etc.)?

I run stacks of flyers to local record stores, clothing boutiques, and food spots, book stores; anywhere they would let me leave them. On occasion I will flyer Sac State and personally hand out flyers and invite people to shows. We even make large posters for the shows and tape them up in windows and telephone poles. 

I still don't have internet at my current residence and that is why it is still important to make sure I flyer personally (for all us poor people). I also add as much media (videos, songs, downloadable mixes) to the internet to keep people satisfied until my next show. I'm also printing mixtapes and handing them out free at my expense, bootlegging my shows so people hear and want to see my live performances. I see free CD's as an audio business card and resume. People look it over and see if they like it and if do, then they will remember me.

Are you actively looking to be signed by a label?

With such a lack of a need for labels these days, I am not looking to be signed. My current goal is to be able to do lives shows (my MPC/scratch/mixing performances) and to sell merch and get my music out. If it stays steady at a local or regional level, I would be happy with that for the rest of my life, but recently doing shows out of state makes me want to get my music out to more people live, get out my DVDs with trippy animation and my music on them, and get CD's (and eventually LP's) in to fans' hands.

Describe the Sacramento music scene and how you interact with it. Where are your favorite places to perform?

I can't speak for the Sacramento music scene as a whole, only the hip-hop scene and that is a pretty incestuous scene. Few people really make a name for themselves off merit. Hip-hop shows usually consist of people bringing out all their Facebook friends and shows never usually pan out (unless a national hip-hop act headlines). That is why groups, cliques, and collectives dominate the scene for a while then fade out because their friends cannot keep supporting them alone. When people do get big, they just leave the Sac scene because they can flourish without it on a larger scale.  

Shows also lack good sound quality and planning making them drag on a long time.

Los Hermanos 1200 w/ Mike Colossal @ the Golden Bear 10/30/09

Some of the best places to perform in Sacramento are Capital Garage, Golden Bear, Butch n' Nellies, Press Club, the Distillery, Sac State, and the Java Lounge. These places are usually down to let you do whatever it is you want to do, as long as you put real effort into it. They are always down to let you do a one-time show and will allow you to do a weekly or monthly as long as it keeps bringing in revenue.




*Listen to "Interstellar Love Jam" by Mike Colossal PLUS his interview about the Sacramento hip hop scene with Nick Brunner on Off Air - Smart Rock Radio.*


Here's the BIG question: do you think unsigned musicians have any influence over the music industry?

Unsigned musicians don't have influence on the music industry, only the fans. Before, record labels were the MySpaces and Twitters and Facebooks. They gave an artist the ability to be recognized on a national level. Now with the internet, you can get that recognition without the industry. If you promote, do shows, leave free CD's for fans you can be your OWN industry. Radiohead said "fuck it" and showed a whole generation of musicians you can do it without the industry. Although musicians can only gain so much fame without the industry, but most artists can create a sustainable fan base.

Also with promoting being in the hands of the artist, artists can be as big or small as they see fit. Before you couldn't make a living being a part time musician. But now that you can do a lot of promotion at home on your own time, you can go to work from 9-5, update social network sites, records in your home studio, make your cool flyers on the computer, print them out at a local show, and hustle your ass off on your free time.

People don't have to worry about making a huge record industry flop, have terrible show attendance, get dropped and never be heard of again. People can now be effective artists at their own pace. And people are ready to run in the long marathon of becoming artists, not just sprinting for fame. Those cats don't last.

Don't miss Mike Colossal's Birthday Bash at Butch n' Nellies (19th & I Street) on July 23rd from 7-10PM. Great music and quite possibly the best cappuccino in Sacramento!

Check out Mike Colossal on:

MySpace
Twitter

It's ALL AGES, and only $3 donation - come out and support!