All things must pass. Just last week, news broke that the legendary Sacramento bar and live music venue Old Ironsides, which first opened its doors in 1934, is up for sale. After decades of owning and operating the business, it sounds like the Kanelos family is simply burnt out and ready to step away. Sam Kanelos, Jr. told the Sacramento Bee’s Mila Jasper that, “It was just time,” and that, “the family looked at our ages and time we put in. It’s time to start enjoying our latter years.”

The news of Old I being up for sale spread like wildfire on social media, with many members of Sacramento’s music community expressing their love and gratitude for the venue, along with a wealth of memories and a shared hope that whoever buys the business will keep its legacy alive. The Kanelos family also seems to share this hope, posting on Old Ironsides’ Facebook page, “We aren’t going anywhere yet! Hopefully we’ll find someone to take over who wants to carry on in this 85 year tradition.”

Check out our calendar section to check out Old I’s ad to see what they’ve got coming up, and be sure to stop in if you can, because who knows what’s going to happen when this iconic downtown business gets new owners.


Let’s Torch it up! One of our favorite yearly concerts is back with a stacked lineup. The Torch Club’s annual TorchFest will run from Friday, May 24–Sunday, May 26 this year and will feature 18 bands/artists, including Gillian Underwood, Ryan Thompson and the Delicate Hounds, 50-Watt Heavy, Danny Morris and the California Stars and Loose Engines on Friday night; BaddSelf, Lee Vandeveer Band, George Napp, Birds of Fortune and Grateful Bluegrass Boys on Saturday; and Sunday’s full day of tunes from Band of Coyotes, Twilight Drifters, Drop Dead Red, The Breakers, Ice Age Jazztet, Merle Jagger, Highway Poets and Smokey the Groove. TorchFest is easily one of the best weekends of live music in town every year. Top notch talent all day, every day. Keep an eye on Facebook.com/thetorchclub or Torchclub.net for details on times, prices, etc.


Outdoor concert season is upon us! Spring has arrived in Sacramento and with the rising temps comes a plethora of outdoor concerts and festivals in the region. Here’s a brief rundown of just some of our area’s best outdoor concerts so you can be sure to get out and enjoy the weather while taking in some tunes:

• Downtown’s famed Concerts in the Park series kicked off last week. These free, all-ages concerts happen every Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza starting at 5 p.m. from now through July 26 (with the exception of July 5). CIP always includes a nice blend of local talent and nationally touring artists in a music festival environment with food trucks, vendors, live artwork and more. Check out Godowntownsac.com for the lineup.

• THIS Midtown Second Saturday Block Party series is returning on Saturday, May 11 and continues every Second Saturday through the summer. Head to 20th and K streets in Midtown to hear DJs and artists from here and beyond on a huge, amazing sound system. Watch the streets turn into a full-on dance party! These events are free, run from 5–10 p.m., and all ages are welcome. Keep an eye on Facebook.com/this916 for lineup announcements.

• Concerts at Quarry Park in Rocklin kicked off last week, and continues on Saturday, May 11 with Placer County Rocks at the Quarry, presented by Loomis Basin Brewing and The City of Rocklin. The beautiful and nearly brand new outdoor amphitheater will also host concerts in June, August and September. For lineups and more info, check out Meetmeattheq.com.

• East Sac Pops in the Park kicks off next month on Saturday, June 1 at East Portal Park with Joe Craven & The Sometimers, and then continues throughout the
month at various parks in East Sacramento. Check out Facebook.com/eastsacpops for more.

If you have an outdoor concert, festival, or series to get on our radar, email us about it so we can make sure to list it/them in our calendar section!

    Jonathan Carabba

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    Find me at the bowling alley. Co-founder + Advertising Director + Marketing at Submerge. Contact: jonathan@submergemag.com

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