When Butterscotch plopped down in my dining room, I noticed she was wearing a Tupac shirt, which shot me back to the ‘90s, when everyone was like, “Keep it real.” Remember that? No? That’s because you’re 12-years-old. Well, let me tell you a little something about the old days: They were stupid, and when people said “keep it real,” what they actually meant was, “Look mad as fuck and wear Timberland boots,” which led to entire suburban school districts full of kids who thought they were Tupac. But here’s the thing, not even Tupac was the cartoonish version of Tupac. Tupac Amaru Shakur was a poet, an artist, a dancer, a revolutionary and a thinker. In an interview from 1988, the 17-year-old said, “Ain’t no secret, the world is in bad shape. So we have to do a lot of good things.” It’s a beautiful thing for a teenager to say.
I’m always reminded that the reason people love Tupac isn’t because he wore bandanas and spat at cameras (OK, no, I actually love that shit); people love him because of his complexity, his commitment to intellect, and even his hypocrisy. Tupac was nothing if not authentic. He truly wanted to make the world a better place, and it wasn’t until people got in his way that he tried to destroy them. He was the perfect image of a beautifully imperfect human.
Peace, love, and positivity
That’s why I’m always excited to talk with Antoinette Clinton, known by most as Butterscotch, who seems to be in the midst of some sort of self-awakening, on the brink of becoming not just a musician, but a leader.
Over a glass of water (half full), she speaks candidly about the past several years since she was a finalist on America’s Got Talent, how she’s had to make difficult choices and her recent quest to find an authentic artistic self, a distinct path that will allow her to change the world on her own terms without having to bow to the god of mass appeal. “For 10 years, it’s been, ‘She was on America’s Got Talent!’ and I’m just like, ahhh, I’m more than that!” While she’s kidding, I imagine that kind of thing—being pigeonholed as a one-dimensional reality show character—can really be frustrating, especially since the guitar-and-piano-playing, beatboxing-and-rapping virtuoso has been working hard to gift the world with her grand artistic gestures.
“I fully feel who I am and what I’m supposed to do and my purpose. It’s to inspire and I know that a lot of people have gone through the same things as me and it’s to give motivation and purpose to others and to encourage them to keep going,” she says. “And also just to make them feel good.”
She also understands that in order to make fans happy, she has to be happy, too. “I’m trying to do more things that not only help me grow, but that are fun and that inspire me. I’ve done corporate stuff which pays really well, but it doesn’t feed the soul,” she says.
“I’m trying to do more soul-fulfilling events.”
Narratives
While she’s been out as a gay woman for about 10 years, Butterscotch wasn’t always super open about it. She never hid the fact that she was gay; she simply didn’t talk about it.
“It’s not easy when the majority of the world is judging you and you have to be super comfortable and confident to know that’s who you are,” she says.
She recently performed at SF Pride and will perform at DTLA Proud Festival at the end of August, and her single “Accept Who I Am” marks a sort of turn in her career where she is not simply “out,” she’s claiming her sexuality and drawing a line in the sand in the name of LGBTQ people. The second verse of the song is where shit gets heated: “It’s none of your business if I’ve slept with a woman or a man/ Frankly I don’t give a damn what you think, I’m a freak, what I do in the sheets, doesn’t concern you, I don’t/ understand, why you care so much, why do you people stare so much, why you point and glare so much,/ Like you’re the one to judge/ Living your fucked up life you can’t get enough.”
Damn.
Her latest single “We Are All We Got” is equally as civic-minded, with an attention to human connection and a call to spread your narrative throughout the world, even if that narrative causes discomfort.
“We’re told that we’re ugly because we’re black or we’re told that we’re sinful because we’re gay, and people have committed suicide for these reasons, so we have to celebrate ourselves to appreciate ourselves,” she says. “It’s more important than ever to share our stories.”
The AGT curse
I have a feeling that no matter where she goes, Butterscotch will always be the one from America’s Got Talent, which is why she’s wary about the many offers she’s received to be on other televised talent competition shows. “I’ve been approached several times. I don’t want to be known as that,” she says.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll never see her on TV again. “If it was about music and would focus on my story, then sure,” she says. “The only thing is that people thrive on drama, so it would have to be carefully crafted. But I’m a pretty open person.” Butterscotch pauses. “Well, semi-open,” she says, laughing.
This careful weighing of opportunities (“I’m not that much into astrology, but I’m a Libra. I weigh everything,” she says) is something that’s foreign to someone like me, a garbage human born with zero self-control (I’m a Gemini). If someone offered me a reality show, I’d probably buy some bigass sunglasses, quit my job, move to Los Angeles and never speak to normal people again. But since Butterscotch has a highly functioning brain, she is able to weigh each opportunity with the help of her girlfriend, who asks a simple question: “Would you be proud of it?” It was this question that led Butterscotch to pass on the opportunity to appear on Showtime at the Apollo. If it’s just for exposure, and not contributing to the nourishment of soul, she won’t do it.
Industry rule No. 4,080 …
“It’s a rough industry,” Butterscotch says about showbiz. “Fortunately, I’m pretty good at networking.” This talent has led her to perform at the Hatch conference in Montana, where creative professionals (filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, the guy who created Siri, etc.) gathered to listen to each other talk and to trade ideas.
Her knack for networking also led to one of my favorite Butterscotch appearances, her 2016 talk at the Peace of Mind Storytellers event, where she addressed mental health issues and how art helped her overcome some serious shit. “I used to cut my arms all the time. It was a deep and dark time for me,” she said in front of the crowd. She talked about how music saved her life, but also how she had mentors that told her she should stay in the closet, that she “should get a fake boyfriend.” She fell into a deep state of depression and wondered if music was the way. “I wanted to shave my head and move to Spain,” she joked. Her willingness to spread her narrative with grace and humor and to commit her life to assisting others has helped her deal with her own demons.
“In the end, it’s just like, fuck it,” she says, “so you might as well love your life and do what’s best for you.”
It’s exciting to fathom what’s next in Butterscotch’s quest toward self-fulfillment. No doubt she’ll extend her generosity toward youth who need it the most: the depressed, the unsure, the outsiders, the outcasts, the humans who feel like they need a purpose and can’t find one. For these souls, Butterscotch offers a bit of advice: “Find your support system, whether it be a teacher, a friend, a family member, there’s always going to be someone out there who does understand and people that will help, even if it’s me,” she says. “You can reach out to me.”
That’s real.
Catch Butterscotch at the Girls Rock Sacramento Benefit Concert presented by the California Women’s Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Ace of Spades, located at 1417 R. St. in Sacramento. General admission tickets for the show, which also features new wave mainstays Missing Persons and an array of local acts, are available in advance for $25 at Cwmusicfest.com or Aceofspadessac.com.
Just last week a new, six-week-long concert series launched in Davis, brought to you by the fine folks from Davis Music Festival and the popular local restaurant, Hot Italian. “Summer on the Green” will go down every Thursday through Aug. 17 in Davis and will feature live music in a family-friendly outdoor park setting, fun activities, some of the best pizza in town, drinks and great company. Here’s a look at the lineup: July 20 will feature Davis funk band Big Sticky Mess, July 27 will see Davis rock band The Five Thirty perform, Aug. 3 will be Davis funk/afrobeat outfit The Heavyweight Champs, Aug. 10 is rock group Matt Jaffe and the Distractions from San Francisco, and finally on Aug. 17 the Summer on the Green series will wrap up with a performance from reggae/dub group Roots Man Project from the Vacaville area. All shows are free, all-ages, start at 6 p.m. and go down at Davis Commons on the grass outside of Hot Italian in Downtown Davis. For more information, go on Facebook and search for “Summer on the Green” to find their event pages.
**This write-up first appeared in print on page 6 of issue #244 (July 17 – 31, 2017)**
In their three-and-a-half years of existence, Third Space Art Collective in Davis has hosted hundreds of touring and local bands, art shows, workshops, theater events, literary readings and other events, all the while becoming an integral part of Davis’ diverse creative community. Not bad for an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, right? Well, unfortunately, the future of Third Space Art Collective is in limbo. Due to a change in ownership of the building they currently occupy at 946 Olive Drive, the folks at Third Space recently received an eviction notice stating that they’ve got until April 20 to get out. “Our goal is to provide an accessible center for creation, exhibition and congregation,” Third Space states on their website, Thirdspacedavis.com. “We are a place where people can connect in a meaningful way through artistic expression, regardless of age, economic classes, or experience.” If this is something that sounds important to you (hint: it should!) then we urge you to hit up their website and donate if you can. Any amount will help. They’ll have many significant costs to cover when they find a new home: deposit, first few months worth of rent, transportation and storage, construction of art studios, fire and safety improvements, permits, etc. If you can’t help monetarily, spread the word on your social media networks and through word of mouth. Spaces like this are of the utmost importance to music and art scenes, and unfortunately they are few and far between these days. Check out their upcoming events at Facebook.com/thirdspaceartcollective and get involved.
Those who’ve revelled in the spectacle that is Cirque Du Soleil should find ample reward in Circa, born more than 10 years ago in Australia, which incorporates difficult yet compelling circus acts like trapeze and Chinese pole exercises with reckless aplomb. And while the music is not your standard show fare—expect electronica, cheeky ballads and even show tunes—the odd musical choices don’t seem so strange when paired with talented performers and acrobatic feats. Those who get depressed watching others literally fold their bodies in half and contort into forms never imaginable in this lifetime should realize these exhibitionists have worked for countless years to hone their skills. Surfing the Internet and staring blankly at the clock at your mundane job doesn’t count, OK? We love our readers but want to be realistic. Not even our talented editor or our classless freelancers could do what the Aussies can. Experience a once-in-a-lifetime thrill and make plans well in advance as these dates are expected to sell capacity numbers. Odds are most have never seen some of the many tricks they’ll see and, more importantly, everyone has a chance to show their partner a good time that both parties will enjoy. Winner winner … Vegemite sandwich dinner. Go to Mondaviarts.org for tickets.
KDVS Presents: Gravy Nation, Kaz Mirblouk, Honyock
Third Space, Davis • Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016
Words by Estefany Salas
For a rainy night, there was a surprising amount of people at Third Space; most of the spectators are Davis locals who transport themselves by bike. Third Space is the equivalent of any venue in Oakland yet the difference is the price you pay. In Oakland, it is likely that you will pay more than 40 bucks, at Third Space, a donation less than five dollars is sufficient.
The bands expected to play were Gravy Nation, Kaz Mirblouk and Honyock. They weren’t due to play until eight at night. Many people trickled here and there through the two entrances, most of them looking like they had stepped out of an Urban Outfitters catalogue. There was a bit of an L.A.-hipster-meets-Davis bohemian vibe, which can be intimidating at first, but if you’re open to meeting new people, you are less likely to be daunted by the new faces you may encounter.
I started feeling slightly more comfortable once the first band, Gravy Nation, a Davis-based rock trio, started setting up. The lights went out, creating an entire new vibe of “anything is possible.” The frontman and bass player, Christopher Hunt, had an interesting getup of leather pants and a flannel, which gave him the appearance of a Jim Morrison bad boy look with a touch of grunge. The other two band members of the rock trio—drummer Billy Thompson and guitarist Ryan Shickman—didn’t seem to quite fit the look, as they had arrived in casual clothing. Once everything was ready and set for performing, I stood back and was not disappointed. As a huge ‘90s alternative rock fan, I found a lot of the decade’s influences in their music, from pop-punk Green Day to grunge Alice in Chains. The band may as well earn a reputation as Davis’ most mercurial bands for its brave leaping from one subgenre to another while still playing to an alternative scene.
Gravy Nation made quite the impression with their song titled “Regina George,” a fast-paced heartfelt tune from the point of view of a love-struck teenage boy, referencing the main character from the 2004 film, Mean Girls. Generally, the band had a knack for showmanship, followed by the ability to sound clean and melodic without committing to one stylistic approach, wherein upholding measured arrangements that employ the members’ expertise to the fullest.
The music by the band Kaz Mirblouk, a Los Angeles/Davis based garage/psych-punk three-piece, headed by the front man Kasra Mirblouk, was something out of a fun, sunny and sporty commercial selling a product to a bunch of youths. Brash, heads-down garage rock that feels a tad experimental, with vocals that align perfectly to their every tune, KM is able to maintain a casual loose feel, without losing their pace. Take a listen to their song “Through the Glass,” and you are likely to be sold. KM is controlled and eclectic, giving the band a generic appeal to all the masses, whether you want to hate it or love it, you are bound to end up loving it. After all, their sound has made an impression on the music scene in Los Angeles, as noted by the attention they garnered from the up-and-coming Los Angeles indie music label Lolipop.
Honyock, a Sacramento-based four-piece band, playfully calls their music, “Folkadelic psychwave.” What that means, they’re not exactly sure. However, it is apparent that their influences are mainly from Neil Young and The Velvet Underground. Take what you will from the band’s performance; once you take a listen to “I’ll Never Let You in Again,” it is evident that the band members have sensitive souls. With their profound and emphatic lyrics, you will be compelled to give your heart away to each and every one of the band members, for they are likely to understand your inner struggle and pain. Their songs are eerie, dark, and sad yet somehow they retain a certain beat that allows you to dance. However you choose to dance is really up to you.
Shift in Visage
For Chaz Bundick, the process of designing artwork for an album is as uniquely fulfilling an experience as recording one. The LPs he puts out under his main creative persona, Toro y Moi, reflect this craft, demanding attention to the sleeve and cover, suggesting heavily a certain character before the music even begins. For fans, these are must-buys on vinyl; something to place in a row on their own special shelf, always there for a quick spin and each ready to entertain one state of mind or another. There is the aqueous, ambient pulse of Causers of This, accompanied by murky, dark-hued artwork; there is the crystal-clear, after-hours funk of Underneath the Pine, paired with a playful, intimate cover; and the crackling, caffeinated focus of Anything in Return, alongside bold, warm-toned color visuals. The overall body of work that makes up Toro y Moi can be as alternately vibrant, subdued, contiguous and varied as a coral reef. One might spend countless listens wrapped up in the surface texture of one of these records, and still get the feeling that there are hidden depths behind every hook and melody.
Without sacrificing complexity, the latest Toro y Moi album, What For? (released in April, 2015) burns off some of the layered production of Bundick’s past efforts in favor of a clear-cut, ‘70s rock-inflected sound. The result is as bright and breezy as a cloudless Bay Area afternoon, with analog instrumentation supplied by Bundick himself alongside a who’s-who of names in current indie rock (Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Keath Mead among them). From the swirling synth, guitar and breakbeat leaps of lead single “Empty Nesters” to wistful, Big Star-influenced numbers such as “Yeah Right,” it is clear that his songwriting chops have reached a new level of sophistication. Even so, the record feels effortless, as if this time around, the undertaking was made lighter by experience.
Although still a fresh face on the music scene, making inroads to new audiences with every subsequent release, Bundick has come a long way from the pre-emptive labeling of 2009’s so-called “Summer of Chillwave,” taking stylistic left-turns with each new release and even producing dance music under a pseudonym (check out the excellent 2014 album by Les Sins, Michael, named after Bundick’s dog). In recent years, he’s left his old stomping grounds of Columbia, South Carolina (where he’d once taken classes with Ernest Greene of Washed Out) and relocated to Berkeley, California, which seems to jive well with the light, psychedelic flair of his new work.
Between touring and recording, which he still tends to do in his quiet home studio, Bundick also indulges in design work, including custom screen-printed T-shirts. If there is a dark or turbulent side to his life or his art, it doesn’t show; the man himself can be enigmatic and congenial in equal amounts, like his albums—mellow, but in a cerebral way. One certainty is his passion for crafting a sound or look, and his formidable sense of taste. “Taste transcends the physical world,” he was once quoted as saying. It is this devotion to the discriminating eye and ear that makes Toro y Moi such an impeccable figure on the music landscape of today.
In a few days, local fans will have the opportunity to see Toro y Moi live at TBD Fest in West Sacramento, where his act will utilize the full live-band sound of What For?. It will mark only the second time he’s played a show in the region, the first being an early 2009 performance in Davis, his first-ever gig in California. It goes without saying that Toro y Moi has evolved by leaps and bounds since then, much like Sacramento’s own blossoming local festival. We were able to briefly catch up with Bundick before his appearance on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, to talk style, early influences, and possible future directions.
What has changed most fundamentally about your idea of the Toro y Moi project since 2009?
My musical process has been constantly changing, but aside from that, my attention to detail has gone up more. I just pay more attention to aesthetics, because there are more eyes on me now. I’d rather make sure everything from the music to the album covers to the merchandise is a cohesive thing, because it’s still me doing all of that stuff. It’s just me and an art director, or me and a friend designing the T-shirts. Not really much more than two people working on a given aspect, so if anything, I feel like my business model overall has changed. I think of it more as a business now. There’s a lot more aspects to think about at all times.
Did you have a similarly distinct vision when you set out with your first album, Causers of This?
Yeah, in a way. I definitely wanted to pay attention to some design aspects. But I really wasn’t thinking—being fresh out of college—about music video quality, or what kind of camera to shoot things on, or what kind of typefaces to use, or trying to stay consistent with all of these things from project to project. I think I was definitely aware of those decisions to some extent when I was just starting out because I was a fan of design in general. But it wasn’t until the second album [Underneath the Pin] where I really started thinking about crafting it better.
Did you discover design or music first when you were growing up?
Probably music, but I appreciated visual art and visual components from an early age. Everything from like, looking through my parents’ album covers to being afraid to look at just covers, to appreciating books and being able to tell if something was watercolor versus just pencil. That has always just stuck with me.
What was the first album/design combination that truly blew you away?
To be honest, I really thought that The White Album was genius when I first saw it. It’s perfect, it’s nothing, it’s a no-brainer. It’s, you know, proto-Apple computers. It’s no coincidence that it was named Apple, with The Beatles and everything. I think that was the smartest thing … It’s part of what makes The Beatles the best band in the world, in my opinion. That and the way they transformed themselves so many times, the way they had so many visual elements from The White Album to other iconic covers like Abbey Road. It was just smart and simple, it wasn’t too over-the-top. I really appreciate the album covers of 10cc and Pink Floyd, the work of Hipgnosis. That stuff is really awesome, surreal and beautiful. Sometimes I feel my album covers should try and reference this kind of surreality, but mostly, I think simple is still the best way.
Where were you headed artistically, both visually and musically, with your latest album?
I think I was just channeling my inner “soft rock” side. I was listening to a lot of Elliott Smith and Big Star. I wanted to make something approachable, basically a snapshot of me. I feel like, for the longest time I was against putting my face on a record, because of different things—me not wanting to be recognized, or things like me just feeling weird about it. For this album I really just wanted to have a quick photo. I’m into records that are just pictures of the artist, that are like quick snapshots, that haven’t been photoshopped or anything—that’s what I wanted to go with.
What led you to create your alter ego Les Sins? Would you create more in the future?
I like the idea of alter egos, because there’s no preconceived ideas about them. It’s hard to really absorb a song when you know that the artist works in a certain way, or has a certain personality so in a way it’s nice to change names like that, but also nice to separate certain music from my main project, Toro. That’s my main reason for changing names … If it sounds too “indie pop,” then maybe I won’t do it as Toro, or if it sounds too “dancey,” I won’t do it as Toro.
Any clues as to the next direction you’ll take Toro y Moi?
I see it going everywhere, from albums that are bigger to albums that are smaller, with me just being behind the board, to me becoming bigger and better performance-wise. I don’t want to limit myself to one direction. I could start other projects, do design work, or produce other artists as well. There’s no telling which way it’s gonna go.
Don’t let your summer fade into the cold, dark night of autumn. Go out with a bang! TBD Fest will be held Sept. 18, 19 and 20, 2015, in the Bridge District in West Sacramento. Toro y Moi will perform on Sept. 18 alongside Tyler the Creator, The Glitch Mob, Purity Ring, RL Grime, the elusive Death Grips and many others. Go to Tbdfest.com for a full lineup and to purchase tickets.
COOL AS ICE
Remember, when you were a kid, how awesome it was having a flavored snow cone or shaved ice while wandering around an amusement park or fair on a blazing hot mid-summer day? Well, kind of awesome.
It was really great for the first few bites, and then the neon colored FD&C Red 40 that is blamed for a host of health problems started its descent to the bottom of the container; meanwhile, the ice at the top, now snow white, had all the fun sucked out of it. You ended up eating plain-ass ice, and then bottom-feeding on the nauseatingly saccharine syrup, and you were ultimately rendered a sticky mess. At least the debacle cooled you off and gave you a temporary sugar high.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do things in some cases. Shaved ice is one of them, and usually it’s done the wrong way. Osaka Ya, Sacramento shaved ice veterans, get the picture and have a line backed up 10th Street all summer.
Enter Vampire Penguin, another ice master. But it’s differentiated from Osaka Ya, in that rather than wait in line and take a snow cone to-go, you can sit in an air-conditioned, cutesy establishment while you enjoy your artistically crafted “shaved snow,” which has all the frills and flavor of an ice cream sundae.
Vampire Penguin first opened its doors on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacramento on Halloween 2013. It quickly garnered copious popularity and needed to spread its flightless wings further to feed the need Sacramento had expressed for VP’s addicting and vegan-friendly shaved snow (they also carry a smattering of other little treats such as macarons).
So in January 2015, locations opened in Davis on G Street and in downtown Sacramento on K Street. Shortly thereafter, the Elk Grove location opened in mid-February. Another location is slated to open in Berkeley soon.
Submerge photographer Evan Duran and I hit up Vampire Penguin’s downtown location on our way to the first pool day of our unofficial summertime, the temperature having exceeded 80 degrees. It was a perfect day to sample the snow. We poked around the lengthy counter area to see all the goods, scoped the menu and decided on four different items to share.
The Twix was a mound of chocolate shaved snow, topped with graham crackers, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Mexican Candy was an all-the-flavors mouth party of mango shaved snow, piled with fresh watermelons, rich caramel sauce and a salty chili spice mix. Cookies and cream shaved snow, crushed graham crackers, Oreos, marshmallows, chocolate syrup comprised the S’moreos dish. Subtly sweet and bitter at once, the Snow Tiger was made with Thai tea and milk tea shaved snow, paired with oreo crumbles and a condensed milk sauce.
The snow itself is unlike any shaved ice I’ve ever tried. It’s closer to sorbet, sherbet or ice cream in texture. Even my 9-year-old son, an ice cream connoisseur, said it tasted just like ice cream. To me it’s the missing link between shaved ice and sorbet—fluffy yet dense, and very much like eating newly fallen snow.
Paolo San Luis, who co-founded Vampire Penguin with his brother Leo, weighed in on what Vampire Penguin is all about, what it’s been like to see skyrocketing growth of the company and where the Vampire Penguin is headed for its next act.
How did you come up with the menu and concept for Vampire Penguin?
Shaved ice has been around for a long time. What I hated about it was the ice would always be crunchy and the syrup would always pool up at the bottom. We thought, why not infuse the flavor in the block before you shave it, and then shave it finer so it’s not crunchy? And so we ran countless experiments, tried out numerous combos along with fresh fruits and other toppings to come up with inspired presentations. The concept and menu just naturally evolved as we grew. Each combo actually has a backstory, but they are all scattered in little manifestos and will take some digging to find.
Where does the name Vampire Penguin come from?
I always think of our shaved snow as a hybrid between ice cream and shaved ice… So we thought since we were in the shaved snow business, penguin will be a good name because penguins live in snow. But since our shaved ice is not really “shaved ice,” we thought it would be funny to make the penguin a vampire, making the idea of a penguin cute, but not cute (because vampires are also badass), just like our shaved ice is shaved ice, but not really.
How do you make the shaved ice? Its texture is unlike any shaved ice I’ve had before—almost like ice cream!
Proper technique and execution, and lots of trial and error!
The Mexican Candy is my favorite. What was the inspiration for such an awesome and unconventional mix of flavors?
Love Mangonadas! We thought it would be cool to deconstruct it and translate it to shaved snow.
How do you foresee Vampire Penguin growing in the future? Expanding the menu, more locations, etc.?
I definitely want to keep growing, covering all of Sacramento before the end of the year. Our Berkeley location is opening in about a month and half, and we are looking to cover the Bay Area as well. Menu-wise we have new flavors coming out around summer, like black sugar, lychee and mocha. I also want to expand on the desserts side of the business, branding popular baked goods and putting our own twist on them.
How would you describe the experience you want your customers to have?
In a romantic sense, I want our customers to be intrigued by the whole idea of Vampire Penguin, to create their own associations and to identify with Vampire Penguin. In the end, I want the customers to feel welcome.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a company so far, if any?
The primary challenge we continue to face is being able to sustain our growth, but I think we all face that challenge in one form or another.
What has it been like to enjoy such rapid growth for the business?
It’s definitely interesting—I am nervous, scared, anxious, and paranoid at the same time as calm, collected, excited, and having fun. I am also very grateful, but always impatient.
This is my first business, and we didn’t think our first store would be received so well. We would have lines out the door, and it was challenging to keep up with the demand. This propelled us to focus on building a strong team and to create systems and adjustments with the goal of being able to provide the highest quality of service. Every day is a learning experience, and we do have ambitions of growing bigger in the next couple of years.
As things begin to really heat up in the Sacramento area, you know you’re going to want to gorge yourself on frozen treats. Check out Vampire Penguin online at Facebook.com/vampirepenguin916 for updates on menu items and other tasty tidbits.
By Emily Bonsignore
Our spring thus far has been quite fickle. From the 90 degree days to torrential downpours, even the blustery wind storms left me half tempted to lock myself indoors, rather than face bipolar mother nature. However, since all of us at some point must leave the comforts of our beds to endure the manic weather, we might as well do it in style. This means act like an onion and show off some serious layers. Long sleeves over T-shirts under coats and everything else in-between; take some tips from these handsome guys on how to show the weather who is boss!
David Ou
David Ou is no stranger to Submerge, and his style is so nice I had to feature him twice. David’s style is completely classic: tailored pants and fitted cardigans are suitable for any occasion. A big trend for men’s fashion this spring is one standout piece, rather than several articles competing for the spotlight. A striped long sleeve peeks its way through David’s simple layers, breaking up the solid neutrals and allowing his outfit to transform throughout the day.
Henry Li
Taking a more urban approach compared to David’s timeless look, Henry Li’s downtown vibe rivals David’s uptown attitude. Donning a sporty cargo jacket and beat up red converse, Henry’s outfit is perfect for a day of class or an excursion to the city. A color blocked gray and white T-shirt is a contemporary upgrade to any basic tee. Finish it off with a beanie for the cool mornings and nights, and you will be outsmarting the weather’s unpredictable personality in no time.
Milagres; 1,2,3; Unicycle Loves You
Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, Davis – Friday, March 23, 2012
Being 5 feet tall can have its advantages. First off it’s easy to become a champion of hide and seek, no cabinet or closet is too small to curl up in. And the chances of running into a bookshelf or tree branch are at an all-time low, because it’s easy to walk right underneath them without noticing. But the worst time to be vertically challenged is trying to see at a concert, especially if the stage is the same level as the floor.
The stage at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen in Davis isn’t actually a stage at all; it consists of a small wooden porch where all of the band members are cooped up in the corner, which provides a low level of good viewing but a high level of intimacy. As my friend Lucy said, the band members have “no room to bust a move.” But the three bands that opened up the “2012 Music Season Premiere” for the tiny venue didn’t need space to show off new moves but showed off their musical talents instead.
The opening band (starting oddly on time for a rock show) was Chicago’s garage-pop trio, Unicycle Loves You, who were all about making a bold statement. The drummer of the group rocked out while wearing bright red shorts that seemed at least two sizes too small for him. But he might have been the only person who could pull off wearing short shorts during a chilly March night. Their live music could make anyone want to jump up and dance around in circles. Before playing their last song, the lead singer boldly said, “Davis is better than Los Angeles and San Francisco put together.”
During setup for the next band, 1, 2, 3, the crowd seemed to multiply in minutes, making everyone squeeze in a little tighter. The lead singer got ready for the show by wearing a straw hat with a loose rope chinstrap. He later admitted that it was bought in San Francisco because he “thought it was appropriate” for the night. Their two guitars, drums and bass brought a fun but peaceful vibe into the air that even made some viewers on the sidewalk start to dance. For the last song of their set the drummer decided to play standing up, which led to a long instrumental jam session between all four band members. Originally from Pittsburgh, Penn., the band made their trip to Davis seem unique and not just another stop on their tour.
Somehow by the time the headliners, Milagres, took the stage the number of people in front of me multiplied again, making it an even tighter squeeze and keeping the prime viewing spaces at a minimum. Although it was difficult to see any of the band members, the sounds could make any music lover nod their heads and tap their feet in appreciation to their songs. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Milagres’ melodic but powerful music shook the wood panels of the porch. Shows at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen are usually a mixture of people who are trying to drink while holding loud conversations and people who are really into the music. But while the headliners were playing, most people were tuned in to the music. Milagres’ set ended with an encore that was demanded by the audience, making it all of the possible songs they could play in one night.
Although the view of the band was minimal, watching the reaction from the audience was almost better. I caught a girl with her eyes closed swaying side to side, a guy fist pumping, people yelling song requests and lots of head nods. It didn’t matter if someone was sitting front row with a perfect view or in the back sitting on a bar stool, everyone could hear and feel the music that night.
Local bicycle enthusiasts team up to bring the prestigious North American Handmade Bicycle Show to Sacramento
To anyone who has ever owned a bicycle, it’s a universal reality: all the pleasantries of a bike ride quashed by a bicycle chain mishap. Nowadays, however, there is such a thing as bicycles without chains. These bicycles are belt-driven; rather than being equipped with a chain, they are equipped with unbreakable, motorcycle-style belts.
There is a market for these bikes, just as there is a market for bikes made of carbon fiber, in addition to bamboo.
Some of the industry’s most innovative bicycle designs are being generated not by manufacturers, but rather by handmade bicycle frame builders.
As with any niche, when you get into talking about the specifics of how a bike is made and the materials used, the discussion easily becomes esoteric. But regardless of whether or not you can keep up with the bike jargon, if you have even the slightest interest in bicycles, then the North American Handmade Bike Show (NAHBS) is a must-see, says Don Walker, longtime bike frame builder and the show’s founder and president.
Don Walker
This is the one opportunity of the year where bike enthusiasts can see “eye-popping, over-the-top, beautiful, yet functional, bicycles,” Walker explains. “In my opinion, there are no better bikes on planet Earth in any one location other than the NAHBS show once a year.”
Nor is there a larger gathering of bike frame builders that occurs anywhere else in the world than the gathering at NAHBS, he adds.
The three-day show, now in its eighth year, will come to Sacramento. This year, 158 exhibitors will be featured at the show, the highest number of exhibitors at any NAHBS show, with the exception of last year in Austin, Texas. (There were 174 then.)
Builders will compete for “best of” categories based on the type of material used, the style of the bike and frame, the finish and overall best builds. Handmade bike frame builders coming from as far as Italy, France, Japan, England, Denmark and Canada, and as close as Texas, Oregon and San Francisco, will spend three days at the Sacramento Convention Center showing off their best work.
Track bike by Don Walker Cycles - Urbanvelo.org
The concept of a handmade bike frame is not unlike that of handmade clothing, local bike enthusiast Rick Houston says, in the sense that it is a high-caliber item tailored and customized to fit an individual.
Houston, co-founder of Sacramento Tweed, a mass gathering of cyclists who don vintage and tweed during big bike rides around town, is also primarily responsible for bringing NAHBS to Sacramento this year.
After reading his fill about the show in bike magazines, Houston made a spontaneous phone call to Walker in January 2010 asking him to bring the show here. Though he had been absent for some time, Walker just so happens to be a Sacramento native who grew up in the Arden-Arcade area and used to cycle race in Sacramento in the early ‘80s.
The next time Walker was in town, Houston met with him over burgers and beer at Rubicon and pitched a list of reasons why the show should come to Sacramento: the city boasts a mild climate, flat topography, and a solid infrastructure, he explains. Not to mention that the headquarters of the California Bicycle Coalition is based here, and the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis.
Rick Houston - Photo: Jenn Walker
“Sacramento is a great bicycling city,” he says. “We have advantages that Portland can’t dream of.”
After making his case, Houston successfully convinced Walker to make Sacramento the 2012 NAHBS destination.
This year’s show has certainly evolved from its beginnings eight years ago, Walker says. The show grew out of an online handmade bike crafters forum, he explains, and was first held in 2005 in Houston, Texas. In addition to featuring work by some of the world’s top handmade bicycle frame builders, it was meant to provide an opportunity for beginning builders to network with the pros.
That show featured 23 exhibitors. Walker realized he was on to something when 600 to 700 attendees came through the doors over the course of three days.
NAHBS 2010, Richmond, Viginia - Photo: Dave LaMay
“My mission in life at that point in time became: make sure that every cyclist on Earth knows that if they’re interested, that they can buy a handmade bicycle, usually for less than they can than a brand production model if it’s made in China,” he says.
Awareness of the show is increasing exponentially. At the San Jose, Calif., show in 2006, there were four times as many exhibitors. NAHBS has become an internationally acclaimed event for the cycling industry, and it is now maxed out in capacity.
This is the one show that bike builders can look forward to, Walker says, because they can show their best work, and the whole world will see it, either through the media or viral online buzz.
“[Bike builders] understand that NAHBS is the best bang for their marketing dollar,” he adds. “It’s those guys and gals that really dig your stuff that will take a picture and post it somewhere.”
Walker, who himself has built close to 500 bikes since the start of his building career in 1991, will bring his handcrafted steel bikes from his two-garage operation back in Kentucky to the show.
On the local front, Sacramento’s Steve Rex will have an exhibition featuring a variety of his work. Being the only handmade bike frame builder in Sacramento, he stays pretty busy building bikes for recreational and sport riders within the Northern California region alone. As busy as he is, he is still participating in this year’s show.
“I love Sacramento, and I think [NAHBS] will reflect well on the city,” he says. “There will certainly be buzz about it for a couple of years.”
Coincidentally, the show overlaps the 25th anniversary of his building career. A tribute event is planned in which all the fundraising proceeds will go to Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA).
To date, Rex has participated in three NAHBS shows; his bikes were on display in 2006 and 2007 in San Jose, as well as in Portland, Ore., in 2008.
Dean Alleger - Photo: Jenn Walker
The day Submerge paid Rex a visit, he had been working on building two bikes: a single-speed cyclo-cross bicycle and a road bike, both fillet-brazed. If fillet-brazing is lost on you, just picture this: it is when two tubes are fused together without being melted, instead only the joining or filling material melts, Rex explains. It is a less-commonly used technique that requires more time and patience in comparison to the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding method, he says.
Once a cycle racer, now Rex’s days are spent building bikes from steel and carbon fiber, whether they are mountain bikes, tandems, road bikes or cyclo-cross bikes. He specializes in building fillet-brazed bikes with carbon tubes and steel joints. The carbon tubes are glued into the steel lugs, or joints, he explains.
The carbon fiber he uses is sourced from and custom-made in Utah, and the steel is from a plant in Missouri. A Rex bike can take anywhere from eight to 20 hours to make; and, considering he is the only one in the shop who actually makes the bikes, it’s understandable that delivery time ranges from three to five months.
Whether from near or afar, the common denominator between NAHBS exhibitors is the high quality of craftsmanship they bring to the show.
City bike by Alternative Needs Transportation - Urbanvelo.org
“Everybody is bringing their A game [to the show] every year all the time,” Walker says. The show always has been, and will continue to be, about bike fanatics, he adds.
“We’ve got all walks of life that come in [to the show],” he says, “from new cyclists to veteran cyclists, people who have been riding for 40 years or more.”
Based on past years, NAHBS expects 30 to 40 percent of attendees to come from outside of the state, 15 percent of whom will be repeat visitors. Of the 158 exhibitors, Walker estimates that 15 to 20 will be international, while the rest will be from within the country.
Needless to say, there are countless hands involved in setting the 2012 NAHBS show into motion, Houston says. He himself has been working with about 200 volunteers.
“The volunteer spontaneity overwhelms me,” he says. “I don’t know what kind of city we are, but we are an amazing village.”
Eddie Stein - Photo: Jenn Walker
Apropos to Houston’s statement: To show how enthused locals are about the bike show and about bikes in general, within about a month, Sacramento volunteers have organized ArtBike! in conjunction with NAHBS.
In short, it is an art project displayed around the city that pays homage to bikes. Photos, sculptures, paintings and mixed media depicting the two-wheeled machine are featured at Cuffs, The Golden Bear, Milk Art Gallery, First Edition and the Ancil Hoffman Golf Course.
The objective is to express just how much of a creative and bike-friendly city Sacramento is, says ArtBike! organizer Julia Beckner.
The project will culminate on March 3, 2012 with what Beckner describes as a Burning Man-esque bike parade starting at the Convention Center.
Expect the absurd, Beckner warns, including a 5-by-5-foot hollowed toaster that will be maneuvered by cyclists.
“It will blow people’s minds,” she says.
Expectations aside, Houston forecasts that, considering 20 to 30 percent of the Midtown and downtown crowd spends time on a bike at any given time of the week, either commuting or leisure-riding, NAHBS should have a huge turnout.
Regardless of what cyclist tribe you identify with, whether it’s the fixie riders, the road racers, or the mountain bikers, there’s something for everyone at the show, he says.
Naturally, he has invited anyone and everyone, including Congresswoman Doris Matsui. We’ll see who shows up.
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show will occupy the Sacramento Convention Center March 2 through March 4. Three-day passes cost just $50, and single-day passes are also available. For more information on this event and ArtBike!, go to 2012.handmadebicycleshow.com.
