Greg Baughman points to a copper cylinder that towers high above his head. Through tiny windows in the cylinder, you can see liquids thrashing about and excitedly bubbling.

“Something violent but beautiful happens in there,” he says.

Baughman is referring to the 160-gallon side-mounted column still that he built himself and is used to create all of his liquors—a project that cost tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours of manpower. Each liquor made at Gold River Distillery goes through this 12-tiered tower to fulfill its destiny to become a spirit.

Gold River is the first legal distillery to open in Sacramento County since prohibition. It’s name is a nod to the saloon culture of the Gold Rush-era and the rebellious reputation Sacramento has when it comes to liquor. During prohibition, Sacramento was said to be one of the easiest places to get a drink, and riverboats on the Sacramento and American rivers would often transport booze as well as operate as actual speakeasies. Baughman gave his liquors the “Wheel House” moniker as a way to honor the ship captains who risked it all to make sure Sacramentans could get their drink on all those years back.

Baughman opened Gold River Distillery almost five years ago, propelled by his love for quality liquor and his interest in understanding how it is created. He had no professional background in distilling but learned everything mostly through watching YouTube videos. It was hard work to physically learn how to distill, but most of the work came with learning codes and legalities. Baughman’s 9-to-5 is as an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist, so luckily, he had a good handle on all of the technicalities.

“This industry is pretty unexplored in our area so far,” he says. “It takes a lot of dedication to fulfill the aspiration to open up a distillery. It requires a lot of patience and time. You have to constantly know the codes and laws and constantly check to make sure you aren’t accidentally violating anything.”

At the same time, he says that California laws are also quite distillery-friendly when you learn the language of the laws: “Currently, a micro-distiller can make upwards of 100,000 gallons of distilled liquor, not including brandy, which is pretty generous. We actually have a lot of room to make some cool stuff happen.”

Baughman’s distillery is small but mighty. A few dozen tiny wood barrels line a section of the warehouse, aging the house-made whiskey to perfection. While talking to me, Baughman is filling some brand new empty casks up with water. He is conditioning the barrels to expand the wood and make sure there are no leaks. When the water starts to overflow from the drilled holes at the top of the barrel, he scurries over and moves the small white hose, filling them over to the next barrel.

“We are using these for our newest product, the Apple-Jack whiskey,” Baughman excitedly reports. “We are using tons of local, fermented apples to make a delicious whiskey just in time for the fall. It will be available in super limited quantities.”

Today, the distillery makes over six signature liquors that include different variations of vodka, absinthe, gin, whiskey and bourbon. You can try any of these creations at their Rancho Cordova tasting room (11460 Sunrise Gold Circle).

“My pride and joy is the Wheel House Malted Rice Whiskey. You can’t get anything like this anywhere else on the planet. It’s 100 percent Sacramento,” says Baughman.

The whiskey is distilled from 100 percent malted rice grain locally sourced from the Sacramento region, malted by a guy in the area (who is the only person who malts rice on this side of the planet) and distilled in Rancho Cordova. It has a unique flavor profile that starts off as a bourbon and leaves your mouth feeling like you just drank a nice, smokey scotch. It has deliciously sharp, spicy notes to it. Rice grain is a troublesome ingredient to distill with, but Gold River mastered it over meticulous experimentation.

Another unique star of their lineup was the Wheel House Absinthe Verte. This beast of a liquor is a true absinthe distilled from wormwood, anise and fennel, macerated in neutral grain spirit. It has very forward notes of black liquorice, and is usually treated with a few splashes of cold, distilled water before you drink it. They don’t call it “the green fairy” for nothing—this stuff is powerful, to say the least.

Some of Gold River Distillery’s earliest and most popular spirits are their gin and vodka. Their vodka is incredibly versatile and goes great in a mule or a mojito. Their gin has a nice mixture of botanicals that give cocktails a subtle, fragrant essence. If you visit the tasting room, there are shakers full of the dry ingredients that each liquor uses. Some have different varieties of toasted rice, while others have mixtures of spices, herbs and malts. The tasting room attendant welcomes you to smell each while you are tasting.

A huge part of visiting the headquarters is that you get educated on the culture of distilling as a whole; people are often proudly guided to the back of the house to see where the magic happens for themselves. They ferment, distill and even bottle under one roof. The distilling quarters looks like a small-scale beer brewery, with deceptively miniature copper and stainless steel kettles that churn out about 500 bottles of booze per week, depending on the season. Unlike beer, which takes several weeks to make, some liquors are ready to serve within mere days which makes getting more product out a little easier. As far as aging bottles, Gold River also sells oak coils, which can be inserted into the bottle for as long as you’d like to give it more of those aged-barrel notes.

Gold River Distillery hopes to expand in the next few years, and they’re seeking investors to help them make that happen.

“As I see the craft cocktail industry really take off, I also foresee it being truly driven by the micro-distilleries that are starting to pop up,” Baughman says. “The bars downtown are doing a really good job of getting that local mentality out there, but at the same time, there aren’t that many craft distilleries to choose from. I can see that changing soon, and a lot of bars will start getting a lot of local product to pull from in the next few years.”

When you visit bars, whether it be for cocktail week or beyond, make sure you support local and ask for a pour of something from Gold River Distillery.

For more information about Gold River Distillery, visit Goldriverdistillery.com. The Rancho Cordova tasting room and store (11460 Sunrise Gold Circle, Rancho Cordova) is open Wednesdays by appointment only, as well as Fridays 4 – 7 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Private tours can be scheduled by appointment, too!

**This piece first appeared in print on pages 14 – 15 of issue #273 (Aug. 29 – Sept. 12, 2018)**

Supercross and motocross, although completely different beasts, both have their challenges. Whether a racer is competing in a supercross race under the lights in a stadium or in a motocross race outdoors at an equally well-groomed track, all competitors have their strong suits.

Ahead of this month’s Hangtown Motocross Classic, Submerge recently caught up with Jason Anderson as he was driving to Las Vegas from his home in California for the Supercross 2016 season-ending race at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Where are you living these days? Your manager mentioned you were in the process of buying a new house.
Yes. And I currently live both in California and Florida. I’m buying a new place in California.

What is your method for getting good starts aka holeshots? I’ve watched your clutch hand both live and on TV. You’ve got it down pat.
Thanks. Good starts really come down to getting a good spot at the gate during timed practice and qualifying races. Of course, my team and I try to perfect the art of holeshots as much as we can. It makes it rather tough if you have a good gate pick but the track and ground pack is bumpy or clumpy. Also, you have to start with a consistent style. A good starting gate pick, like I said, always helps.

What setting does Jason Anderson find himself more antsy or nervous than usual? Supercross? Outdoor motocross?
That’s a good one. It’s hard when you are on the line at a stadium and have all these nerves going through you. It really doesn’t matter if it’s at a supercross event or motocross track since we all want to place high and have great vibes at every race. I totally get nervous for both of them equally.

You’re always the first to try crazy jumps and were the first rider to try Hangtown’s 150-foot triple jump last year. Very few pros did it aside from front-runners and Justin Barcia, who made it look very easy like yourself. What goes through your head when trying anything of that size for the first time?
Obviously, you have to pick the fastest line. You can’t launch without it. After figuring that out walking the track before practice and riding over it a couple of times, you either have to go for it or not. As far as being indicative and trying different lines, it’s a choice each rider makes on his own and the answer is never really obvious. I get nervous just like anyone else but I am pretty confident these days, at least in my riding abilities. Sure, there is a huge risk we play with every day, but pro motocross racers at this level and money stakes this high always play with fire.

How does one prepare for a faster-than-usual supercross track?
For any supercross race, you always want to walk the whole track. That’s very very important. I look at triple jumps, rhythm sections, corners with quickest in and out and much more. The real difference with supercross as opposed to traditional outdoor tracks first is how steep the lifts on the jumps are. You need to look at all the lines, not just some as in outdoor motocross, and figure out your own pace and rhythm as well as coordinating when and where you pull the trigger. I won’t lie: it is very tough to figure out what you want to do each race.

Any bad crashes that you remember most?
I got a really shitty start at the East Rutherford race and had to come through the pack and still placed sixth. Not my best but no crash. The last track I crashed was with Justin Bogle when he crashed on the first lap and I hit him. I had nowhere to go and that was in Toronto, Canada. At the end of the day, it’s not anyone’s fault as we’re all going for it.

Have you ever been punched or punched someone, Weston Peick-style?
Ha! I have never been hit and hopefully will not. That situation was kinda funny, though. He’s huge. That kind of situation can get get you fined. [Note: Weston Peick punched Vince Friese during a race earlier in 2016 in Anaheim, California which Jason Anderson won. Peick was disqualified, issued a suspension and fined $5000 fine by the AMA.] I think Peick got banned for two races. That kinda sucks. AMA will fine you $5000 or your purse money depending on what you do. There’s different deals but the next $5000 you make from purse money is theirs.

Speaking of a penalization, you got screwed by missing a mandatory joker lane [a portion of the track that can add five seconds to any given rider’s lap time] last October in Las Vegas. Were you pissed off?
Yes, I remember that well. There are some things I have screwed up in the rule book and that was one of them. That incident was at the Monster Energy Cup race. Later on, I won a race as Ryan Dungey lost two positions to me for not paying attention to a medical flag. That was at Ford Field in Detroit earlier in March. I don’t ever want to win that way but, of course, I will always take the win.

Zach Osborne’s mechanic told me last year a Husqvarna chassis is completely different from a KTM. Is that entirely true?
Yes. Obviously they are very similar, made in the same area and have the same owner. However, the bikes do have differences that my mechanic Chris Loredo would gladly explain. The price for a stock Husqvarna when compared to a KTM is very similar.

What about your own 450cc factory bike as opposed to the average Joe’s showroom model?
We have different things on our factory bikes like specialized titanium bolts and different foam on our seats to bring down the weight. From different forks to motors and suspension, a factory bike needs to be different and better. And we do weigh our bikes. I just tell my mechanic and crew if the bike feels good. I will say factory bikes have the same frame and brakes as well as some other things. [My mechanic] Chris knows a lot more than I do.

You changed to the larger 450cc class rather quickly. Why?
If you win a championship within your first three pro years, the AMA automatically makes you.

What other sponsors do you have aside from Rockstar and Husqvarna who pay the bulk of your yearly salary?
We probably have 20 of them right now. It’s really a team effort to get ‘em with my manager Kenny and others helping point the way as well.

Did you want to stay with KTM or was Husqvarna a better deal for exclusivity?
This deal was my first choice after leaving the 250cc class. I’d rather stay at Husky now that I have the deal signed. There is a great group here and the bikes are fast and comfortable. I’m staying put.

Training regimen?
It depends really on the time of the year. We ride bicycles four to five hours a week, use the rowing machine, do some recovery rides and more. Basically, we never stop training or working out. You have to if you want to land on the top three podium and race competitively. I train on my bike with Aldon Baker who also works with Marvin Musquin and Ryan Dungey. There is a private Husqvarna track in Florida and California.

You’re already a top three rider in the 450cc class for the 2016 Supercross season. Congrats. Did you expect that?
Actually, I did. I signed an extension on my Husqvarna deal that lasts until 2018. I planned on being a top three rider as I am paid to be top three. Confidence is very important in this sport. On that note, I’d like to race for as long as I can. It is hard to know when to quit, but I am young and it’s still fun to race dirt bikes.

See Jason Anderson and the top names in professional motocross May 21 at the 48th Annual Hangtown Motocross Classic at Prairie City State Park located at 13300 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova. Class practices starts at 8:30 a.m. and races commence at 2 p.m. General admission tickets start at $45 and go up to $325 (plus service charges). For info and tickets go to Hangtownmx.com.

Soil Born Farms Grows to Become a Nationally Recognized Food & Farming Resource Center

If you’ve ever been on a farm, you know that it’s a living, breathing organism: It has a rhythm to it, a heartbeat. Every day, the fertile soil gives birth to fruits and vegetables; water flows through the rows of plots like blood through a beating heart; and over the din of chickens, cows and pigs, the groan of the engine of a harvester can be heard as it plucks the next generation of crops from the earth.

That was the scene as Submerge recently took a self-guided tour of Soil Born Farms’ Urban Agriculture and Education Project location in Rancho Cordova, the 55-acre farm along the American River that boasts free-range chickens and other livestock, in addition to a wellspring of luscious fruits and vegetables. The farm is buzzing with activity—literally, a section of the farm is dedicated to pollinators. But the bees aren’t the only buzzing going on at the farm. With Sacramento’s Farm-to-Fork celebration on the horizon (Sept. 13 to 28, 2014), those tending to the farm are preparing for an onslaught of activities on and off the ranch. Their 12th annual fundraiser, the Autumn Equinox Celebration, appropriately falls smack-dab in the middle of the festivities.

“This is a super busy month,” says cofounder Shawn Harrison. “We’ve got community activities at the farms, we’re participating in panels. We’ve got two huge events coming up—our Autumn Equinox dinner on Sept. 20, which is one of the best food events in Sacramento, [and] we’ve got a partner event, Foodstock out on Raley Field on the 14th. Then we have a bunch of volunteer things lined up at the farm itself where folks can take classes and tours.”

The tours at the American River Ranch weave visitors through winding paths, where they can interact with 11 distinct points of interest on the farm: from the youth garden to an outdoor classroom, from barns to orchards. The sprawling cornucopia of bright, verdant fruits and vegetables welcomes visitors as they wander the grounds, feeling and smelling the products that may ultimately land on their dinner plates.

But it wasn’t always like this. In 2000, Harrison cofounded Soil Born on a 1.5-acre plot on Sacramento’s Hurley Way with Marco Franciosa. They were “two young and inexperienced organic farmers who had a dream and lots of ambition,” according to their bio. The Farm on Hurley Way now currently operates as a training ground for Soil Born’s farm apprentices.

“It’s come a long way,” Harrison says. “When we first introduced this to the area, when we really got involved about 15 years ago, [we were perceived as] two idealistic young people. It was tolerated as a curiosity, but it has moved from a curiosity to a policy and initiative.”

Just down the street from a liquor store, a Valero gas station and one of those inexplicable KFC/A&W hybrids, Soil Born’s American River Ranch isn’t just a run-of-the mill farming operation. The cofounders are interested in the larger discussion about food systems and access to high-quality, nutrient-rich food in an urban setting.

“I think both regionally and nationally urban agriculture is going to see a major resurgence,” Harrison says. “When you think about our overall goals of feeding the population, or the trend of more and more people moving to urban environments, both nationally and globally the urban environments are going to have to play a much more dynamic role with respect to the food system.”

And Soil Born is doing its part. With educational programs like “Grow Your Groceries” and “Herbs for Health,” their Community Supported Agriculture memberships, a planned local Food Hub and allowing the public unfettered access (alright, somewhat unfettered access—Rebecca Le in the administration office warned of rattlesnakes and highly recommended staying on the pathways during our tour), Soil Born isn’t just a farm—it’s a nationally recognized, nonprofit center for agriculture education and community-building. Through partnerships, they’ve even fostered the growth of more urban growing sites including small farms and community gardens throughout the county.

“One of the things we’re working on right now is this idea of the community farm,” Harrison explains. “We think that every neighborhood should have some kind of farm element—it could be a school garden, it could be a community garden…These types of places in the community [not only] have a really profound ability to connect people, but to take more meaningful, direct actions with respect to food.”

This idea of community is what inspired another program at the farm, Harvest Sacramento, which places its focus on what they call an “edible city” vision for the city.

“Harvest Sacramento is a bigger, edible city vision; starting from this really obvious place of existing sources—all the fruit, all the nuts, all the things in our yards that are going underutilized,” explains Dominic Allamano, Harvest Sacramento coordinator at Soil Born. “Much of it winding up in landfills, some of it gets to become compost, a small portion gets to be consumed by people.”

The folks at Soil Born believe that true vision of the farm-to-fork initiative isn’t just about those who can afford to shop at Whole Foods or have access to the many farmers markets in the area—it’s a way to bridge the gap between quality, nutrient-rich food and hungry bellies.

“For the last six years, we’ve organized community harvest events to harvest fruit from back yards and donate it to local food banks—Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is our major partner, but ideally we try to get food to the closest sources from the neighborhoods it comes into,” Allamano says proudly.

Food these days can be downright terrifying: The ice cream sandwich that never melts. The McDonald’s Happy Meal that never spoils. The “flavor enhancer” procured from beaver secretions. This is the current landscape of food in America—and it isn’t very appetizing.

As consumers trudge through the murkiness of GMOs, rBSTs and other unsavory elements that have taken up residence in our foodstuffs, it’s nice to know that Harrison and his fledgling army of urban farmers are making Sacramento a safer place to eat.

For more information visit Soilborn.org.

A 5.82 mile run, 12.5 mile bike ride and 6.35 mile paddle are all that stand between you and the finish line of Eppie’s Great Race, now in its 41st year, going down on Saturday, July 19, 2014 along the scenic American River Parkway in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento. Go it alone in the Ironperson division, or do it relay-style with a crew of two or three. Either way, it’s not too late to register to race! You’ve got until midnight July 17, 2014 to get your team together and register, then get in some last minute training. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of what is known as “The World’s Oldest Triathlon,” “The Great Race” and the “No Swim Triathlon.” And hey, if not this time, there’s always next year! Visit Eppiesgreatrace.org for more information.

photo by Art Streiber

D.L. Hughley is one of those guys who can do a little bit of everything and pull it all off. Acting, stand-up comedy, political commentating, radio personality, the dude is everywhere. And he can get a laugh out of almost anyone talking on almost any subject. Catch him live in Rancho Cordova for three nights only, July 6—8, at Tommy T’s, located at 12401 Folsom Boulevard. Tommyts.com for more information and to buy tickets ahead of time.

Four months and four beers strong, American River Brewing Company settles in for the long haul

The English brewed the India pale ale so that it could withstand a sea voyage to South Asia, taking into consideration choppy waters and uncontrolled temperature to create a beer still drinkable.

Brewers today make the English pale ale with these standards in mind, the result being a mellower, more balanced drink than the hoppier American version of the IPA. Head brewers David Mathis and Andy Armstrong, owners of the American River Brewing Company (ARBC) went the traditional English route with their Sunrise IPA, one of their flagship beers at the fledgling brewery out of Rancho Cordova.

“[Back then] it was supposed to be just hoppy enough and alcoholic enough to get to Bombay without bacteria forming in it,” says Mathis, leaning near four taps fastened behind a bar in the ARBC tasting room on Trade Center Drive. “We also use French oak to give the impression that it’s been sitting in a barrel for nine months.”

Though it’s 6.8 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), Sunrise is a sweeter, easier drink than its American younger brother. The floral hop bitterness equally matches the creamy malt middle, and the finish is smooth and clean.

“A beer should have a front, a middle and a back in the palate,” says Mathis, a 15-year veteran brewer, same as Armstrong. “A lot of beers I’ve had recently get rid of that middle. I want our end users to get the full pleasure out of drinking our beer.”

So far, ARBC has two other staple beers–Coloma Brown and Golden Ale–and a limited strong IPA, SSB 120, with plans to add a red ale as its fourth staple this week.

Mathis and Armstrong decided to work together on the brewery venture because they have similar tastes in beer, similar ideas on what beer should be and its future. Their compatibility and balance shows through in their creations. The Coloma Brown, named after the first gold discovery site in California, is a big beer, but at 5.5 percent ABV, not overly alcoholic. It’s like a rich chocolate malt, yet has a smooth, slightly hopped finish.

The Golden Ale is 5 percent ABV, the every-beer-drinker’s ale. It’s light, crisp and can be picked at carefully to discover the yeast and malt flavors. Just don’t drink it after having American River’s other beers, especially the SSB, or it might be hard to hit at subtleties. The SSB is a competitor for the hardiest of California IPAs, but its uniqueness is in its hops. Mathis and Armstrong stayed away from the more common American hops like Cascade and went with varieties that are comparable to European styles.

“Why would we copy what someone else was doing?” Mathis starts, “We want to find our own distinct flavor.”

More than 15 years ago, Mathis brewed at home and loved it so much he worked for free at his local brewery until Pyramid Brewery, and later BJ’s Brewhouse, hired him. He admits to almost opening his own brewery back then, but then looks at his 15-year-old business plan and realizes it’s useless compared to what he can do now.

Armstrong and Mathis met at BJ’s, honing their craft and learning the business before deciding to see their ambitious dreams of owning a brewery come to fruition this January.

“BJ’s is good at what they do, especially with their restaurants, but they moved away from their onsite breweries,” Mathis says on why he left the corporate world. “Brewing beer is in our blood, it’s what we’re meant to do.”

Armstrong adds that he learned much of his craft at BJ’s, as well as the smaller brewery Beerman’s and U.S. sake brewer Gekkeikan.

“It was like going to beer school for nine years,” he says of BJ’s.

But he and Mathis wanted to branch out with their own creativity.

The two have a symbiotic relationship. Mathis’ marketing education is apparent, and he’s optimizing on a “grain to glass” approach to business where he and Armstrong create the recipes, choose the ingredients, do the cleaning and meet the “end user” to ensure the best possible experience.

“Sitting down and talking to guests–that’s what I’ve been doing by going to events, festivals, restaurants, bars, educating the sales staff, engaging guests about beer one person at a time,” he says.

Mathis knew Armstrong possessed the right skills and attention to detail when he chose him as his right-hand man to run the actual facility.

“One thing I learned is you have to change the light bulb if it’s out–if a guy working at a brewery is too lazy to change the light bulb, he’s too lazy to clean the fermenters properly,” Mathis says on one reason he knew Armstrong was the right guy.

Timing helps too. Mathis says what Sacramento area is seeing now is a resurgence after many breweries shut down four years ago, creating a void.

“Sacramento is one of the ripest craft brewery destinations in the nation,” he says, confident the city will join Portland, Seattle, Denver and others as a microbrewery hotspot.

ARBC Tasting Room Manager Lisa Agoitia came on board not long after the brewery opened. She is known in the local beer community, has judged past beer competitions and is studying for the Beer Judge Certification Program exam.

“I’ve known these guys for years and Andy is one of the most creative brewers I know,” she says. She and Armstrong are working together on an upcoming Incinerator Pale Ale, a blend of the brewery’s current IPA with hot peppers and jerk spices, Armstrong says.

Getting the small team started on a beer topic like this is simple when visiting the tasting room, where the three like to spend a few hours getting to know customers and talking about what’s to come.

“You don’t throw in the full pepper because you get the flavor from the skin,” says Mathis, sitting relaxed behind a barrel that’s been transformed to a tall table. “What we’re doing is figuring out how to extract only the heat… but that’s proprietary,” he laughs, refusing to give out his trade secrets.

Along with the upcoming spiced blend, Armstrong is experimenting with honey, chamomile and rosemary in future specialty beers, as well as trying barrel aging. He and Mathis filled three wine barrels with their beer to see what they can produce in limited quantity over the next year.

There is still much more room to grow. American River sits in a 6,500-square-foot industrial facility that could potentially put out 10,000 barrels per year if Mathis adds more equipment. With the current barrels, the company is capable of approximately 1,000 barrels this year, but Mathis says they’re going to take it slow.

“The market demands,” he says. “We’re getting good feedback but my focus is don’t grow so rapidly that we lose quality control or lose the connection with our end user.”

However, the long-term goal, he adds, is to make ARBC a major player like Lagunitas or Drake’s Brewing. Armstrong says he already has a few things in mind, including bottling by the end of summer and introducing new yeast strains.

They’re in it for the long haul with Rancho Cordova as headquarters. Mathis says the city council warmly welcomed the small business and is excited about ARBC’s future prospects as much as the company.

“We’re next to the highway, we have a big parking lot for trucks to turn around and the corridor connects us to the entire country,” he says.

For now, the tasting room is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., but more than a dozen bars serve American River on rotation, including de Vere’s Irish Pub, Alley Katz, River Rock Tap House, Pangaea Two Brews Cafe, Firestone Public House and the Bottle Shop in Davis.

ARBC also plans to attend the Raley Field Beer Festival May 18 and the West Coast Beer Festival at Miller Park May 19, 2012.

For more information, check out American River Brewing Company on Facebook or stop by the tasting room midweek at 11151 Trade Center Drive, Suite 104, in Rancho Cordova.

Ashley Fiolek is the new face of motocross

Ashley Fiolek is the type of chick that leaves boys in the dust, literally. And if they scream at her to “come back!” she won’t hear them. And it’s not her Honda’s 249 cubic-centimeter four-stroke engine’s growl that’ll drown out the sound. Fiolek, a 20-year-old professional motocross racer from St. Augustine, Fla., has been profoundly deaf since birth. In a sport dominated by both sound and men, Fiolek is causing a ruckus in the world of motocross.

In 2008 Fiolek dethroned five-time Women’s Motocross Association champion Jessica Patterson and became the youngest WMA champion ever. She has two X Games gold medals under her belt as well as a second WMA championship, was the first female in action ever to grace the cover of Transworld Motocross, the first ever female appointed to the factory Honda Red Bull Racing team and most recently Fiolek was featured as the central figure in a “World of Red Bull” TV commercial that is getting major primetime airplay. The epic minute-long commercial, shot at the picturesque Zaca Station motocross track in Buellton, Calif., features dramatic Indiana Jones-style music, fly-by helicopter shots, crazy 3-D POV camera technology, and of course, Fiolek ripping through the track like a true savage. The only catch, you don’t know it’s a girl the whole time. At the very end of the commercial, Fiolek pulls up to the camera, takes off her helmet revealing her long blond hair and says in American Sign Language, “Welcome to my world. The world of Red Bull.” Imagine millions of viewers’ jaws dropping when they realize that the mystery rider in the commercial is in fact a cute, young, deaf woman.

Fiolek has never been one to let her disability get in her way and she even goes as far as to say that it’s harder being a female in motocross than it is being deaf in motocross. “Most people have accepted my deafness pretty easily,” Fiolek told Submerge in a recent e-mail interview. “I have been riding and racing for a long time and people are just used to me being around.

“I think the women in my sport just struggle because it is a male-dominated sport and the girls get treated differently. Things have definitely changed since I have become a pro and for the better, so that is a good thing! Hopefully things will keep changing and maybe one year it will all be equal. I think in general women in most sports are not treated the same as men. It is just something we have to keep working on and trying to change.”

And to all the naysayers reading this thinking, “She’s probably just good for a girl,” know this: Fiolek is fast. Very fast. Don’t believe us? Take Travis Pastrana’s word instead. Pastrana is the most successful competitor in the history of X Games freestyle motocross and a dude who knows something about going fast, as his list of motocross winnings is too long to list. On the back cover of Fiolek’s book (yeah, she even co-wrote a book) called Kicking Up Dirt, Pastrana is quoted as saying, “It’s difficult to imagine that such a petite girl with a warm smile could be so phenomenal in an extreme sport like motocross. But Ashley Fiolek’s not just good for a girl…she’s flat-out good.”

You can catch Fiolek and other top motocross riders, in action right in our own back yard on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at the 43rd Annual Hangtown Motocross Classic in Rancho Cordova. Read on to learn more about this fascinating and inspiring young athlete.

Photo: ©Simon Cudby/Red Bull Content Pool

What have you been up to lately?
I normally head out to California to train but right now I have stayed at home in Florida. We have had very good weather and no rain so it has been good! I have just been riding and training and hanging out with my friends.

What have you been doing to get ready for the upcoming motocross season? What is your training regimen like both on and off the bike?
I normally take some time off then I start back up riding and training at the New Year. I ride as much as I can during the week, and then I do a cardio and strength training program for off the bike stuff.

Last year you finished second overall and in truly dramatic fashion. It came down to the very end between you and your “rival” Jessica Patterson. Was that a tough loss for you? Has it motivated you to work harder to re-claim your throne this year?
Yes, it is always hard to lose! Anyone that is competitive knows that. I have definitely been motivated this year, and I hope it all pays off.

How important is winning to you? Is it everything, or is it just one thing?
It’s everything! Well it is pretty important. No one likes to lose.

Photo: ©Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

I’ve heard you say in past interviews that you “live and breathe motocross.” Can you imagine what your life would be like without it? Where do you think you’d be today if you never started riding?
Wow, I am not sure what I would do if I wasn’t riding, but it would definitely be some kind of sport! I am not one to just sit around and do nothing; I like to be active and moving.

I’ve seen the footage of when you fell and injured your collarbone in a Sept. 5, 2009 race. I was amazed how fast you popped right up and got on your bike despite having just fallen so hard. That shows a lot about your character. Is falling something you think about often while riding? It seems like it would be hard not to.
Well, of course you don’t want to fall! It is part of our sport not if you get hurt but when. When I am out riding I really don’t think about it and hopefully it won’t happen! During that race, I knew I had to finish 11th place or better for the championship, so knowing that and with my adrenaline pumping I just kept going.

You’ve received some major press over the past couple of years and have become the face of women’s motocross, if not motocross in general. Seeing as how you are a huge figure and role model in your sport, do you ever feel pressured or stressed out?
Well sometimes I do feel pressure. I am only 20 and it is a lot to think about! I just always try to do my best and be the best role model I can be. I want our sport to grow so whatever it takes to get women’s motocross out there is good for me.

Photo: ©Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

I want to talk a bit about the new World of Red Bull commercial. It’s an incredible ad and I’ve seen it on television a number of times in the past few weeks. How does it feel knowing that literally millions of people are going to see that? That’s got to be a gnarly feeling!
Oh yes. It is incredible! I didn’t really realize how many people would see it or how far it would reach, but the response has been crazy. It is strange to know that so many people are seeing it. My mom was watching cartoons on the FOX network the other day with my brother and it came on. Go Red Bull!

How shocked do you think most people are at the very end of the commercial when you take your helmet off and they see that A) you are a girl, and that B) you’re deaf? I bet the look on most people’s face is priceless.
I hope people are shocked. For me and my family it is hard to watch the commercial thinking I am a guy, because we know it is me. Some people that I know, that didn’t know about the commercial, were shocked. They didn’t realize that it was me until the end! I am sure most people that are not into motocross are probably more shocked that I am signing at the end.

What are your techniques to make sure you get in front, and stay in front, of other racers? How does being deaf play into these techniques? What sort of signals or indicators are you looking for when you’re riding?
Well you have to try and get the “holeshot,” this is to be the first one to the first turn. It is hard to be out in front but you have a clear view of the track so that is good. If I get the holeshot, I just try and push myself hard and stay in front. My mechanic will give me info on the pit board when I come around to the mechanics area so I know where the next rider is at.

Photo: ©Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

Switching gears a bit. Tell me about your book that was released last year, Kicking Up Dirt. What inspired you to want to write a book?
Well I hadn’t really thought about it much, but a woman that interviewed me one time for a magazine wanted to write a book with me about my life. She approached me and we started working on it together, and my mom and dad helped too with some early on info from my life.

Is writing something that you particularly enjoy? What are some of your other hobbies? When you have free time (if any), what do you do for fun?
It was a lot harder to write a book than I thought! It was a lot of research and a lot of interviews. It took over a year to do and it was pretty intense, but I am glad that it happened; in the end I really liked the book! In my free time I like to Jet Ski and snowboard or ride pole position cars, anything crazy.

Any final shout-outs you’d like to give?
Well I would definitely like to thank my sponsors who have stuck behind me all these years. Alpinestars, Red Bull, Honda, Leatt, they have been with me almost since the beginning of my pro career. Alpinestars and Red Bull were with me in my amateur career! My mom and dad have been great, they have helped me with everything and are always there for me. I wouldn’t have made it this far without them for sure! God is definitely looking over me.

See Fiolek and other top pros in action on May 21 at the 43rd Annual Hangtown Motocross Classic in Rancho Cordova. Hangtown is the longest running and largest of the outdoor national motocross series and it is still being promoted and produced by a local club, the The Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club. The greater Sacramento region has the DDNMC to thank for bringing the fastest motocross racers in the world to our own back yard for the past 43 years. Our hats are off to them! Visit Hangtownmx.com or call (800) Hangtown (426-4869) for more information. To learn more about Fiolek and to watch her World of Red Bull commercial, visit Ashleyfiolek.com

Veteran funnyman Kevin Nealon strives to keep current

Many experts argue that laughter is good for you. They say it’s therapeutic to the mind, body and soul, that it relaxes the whole body and even boosts the immune system. If this is the case, comedian/actor Kevin Nealon has been healing millions of people worldwide for decades. From 1986 to 1995, Nealon was hilarious on Saturday Night Live (remember The Subliminal Man? How about Hanz and Franz?); he also had us rolling on the floor with his appearances in such films as Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer and Grandma’s Boy, and he’s currently keeping the laughs going as Doug Wilson, the stoner city councilman, accountant and part-time pot dealer on the hit Showtime series Weeds and as the lead in Glenn Martin, DDS, a stop-motion animated series on Nick at Nite.

One thing that’s stayed consistent throughout his lengthy career is his love for doing stand-up. He says that stand-up came first and then the acting gigs flowed. “That’s what I really wanted to do was stand-up comedy,” Nealon says of his early years. “The acting came secondary. Stand-up was what I loved and then I got on talk shows and then I was in that Roxanne movie with Steve Martin and I got on SNL in 1986, but I never stopped doing stand-up.”

Lucky for us he still hasn’t stopped, and on Jan. 14 and 15, 2011 he’ll bring his act to Tommy T’s Comedy Club in Rancho Cordova. Nealon was gracious enough to take some time to chat with Submerge while in Hawaii on vacation, sort of.

How’s Hawaii? Are you there for fun time or work time?
Well, it’s rest time to be ready for work. Or, you know, to recover from work I guess [laughs]. I don’t know. I had an interesting morning, though. I was at breakfast and this guy starting choking and a friend of mine did the Heimlich maneuver on him. I’d never saw that in person. He saved the guy’s life.

So you were just sitting there watching it all?
I was there just watching and enjoying my breakfast. I didn’t know that there was entertainment with the breakfast.

Talk about all-inclusive.
Yeah, but I’d never seen that actually happen in real life.

I’ve never seen that happen in real life either, but it’s one of those situations that’s depicted in so many movies and TV shows that you feel like you’ve seen it happen, you know?
Yeah and It’s usually in comedies where you see it, you know, where the thing pops out of the person’s mouth and goes flying across the room [laughs].

Probably wasn’t so funny in real life.
No, it was funny.

You’re going to appear in a ton of films this year. For example, Just Go With It, the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston flick. You play a character called Adon, right? What can you tell us about that?
Well, Adon is Middle Eastern, and he’s a plastic surgery junky. He can’t get enough and he’s fairly persuasive to the people around him. He just likes to have a good time and likes to look good.

I saw something on your website about that role that said, “You might not even recognize me.” Was there major makeup involved?
Oh yeah, it was six hours in the makeup chair. I think we shot like three or four days and they only used one scene. That’s the way movies are. It was fun doing the movie though, it was fun hanging out with Jennifer and Sandler and I think it’s going to be a funny movie.

Heidi Montag plays your wife, right? That seems kind of fitting considering she’s a real-life plastic surgery addict. How was it working with her?
It was nice. She was very sweet. It couldn’t have been more pleasant. She was very eager.

How about the Nick Swardson and Christina Ricci porn-tinged comedy called Born to Be a Star. Who do you play in that?
That’s a fun one; I can’t wait until that one comes out! That’s a really funny film. I play Nick Swardson’s character’s abusive roommate trying to connect with Christina Ricci’s character. Nick’s character becomes my roommate because she asks my character to take him in and I’m just totally abusive to him. I don’t think you’ve seen anything more abusive.

Couple more. How about Jack and Jill, the one where Adam Sandler plays, well, Jack and Jill. How do you fit into that one?
Well I just play a doctor at the beginning of that film delivering two kids. And that’s actually Sandler’s sister who’s giving the baby in real life and his brother plays her husband [laughs].

Keeping it in the fam! Finally, there’s And They’re Off with Martin Mull and Sean Astin. Who do you play in that one?
That was a fun movie. My wife and I did that together. It’s more of an improv scene, which was really fun. Martin Mull and Sean Astin were great to work with. It was just a great day, one of those days where it clicks and it just goes by in an instant.

You thrive in improv situations, don’t you?
Yeah, we had a good time doing it. My wife was in The Groundlings for a while, the comedy company, so she loves improv too and she’s a great actress. It was kind of like playing all day, you know, and when you work with Martin Mull and Sean Astin it’s just a real heyday.

You’re a really busy guy! How do you shuffle all your projects?
Well, you know, it sounds like I’m busy, but for example I did that Swardson film over a year ago I think.

So on paper you’re busy?
Yeah, on paper it looks like I’m really busy and people tell me, “You got to slow down,” but really I have so much free time, it’s crazy.

As far as work ethic goes, whom do you look up to in the comedy world?
Well first and foremost Adam Sandler, that guy is a workhorse. He’s constantly working and looking forward to the next project. Sarah Silverman, Gary Shandling was also a big influence for me. If you go back a little bit, Albert Brooks. Steve Martin of course–he’s a genius.

You had a stand-up DVD out a while back called Now Hear Me Out. When can we expect another one?
I am actually working on one, yeah, that’s one of the reasons I’m doing so much stand-up is to come up with another special. That was my first one-hour special after all those years of doing stand-up. I figured it was time to do one. I’m such a perfectionist in a lot of ways, and I keep waiting to come up with better material, but you know what, that may never happen [laughs].

How tough is it for comedians to compile an hour’s worth of solid material to do a full-on special like that? It seems like it’s the equivalent of writing an album for a musician, or a screenplay for a writer, or a book for a novelist or something like that.
It is intense depending on the comic and how often they try their new material and write. Some of these comics come out with a new special every year, and they’re kind of not as good as their first special, because that’s when they had all of their material. Unlike musicians. I was just reading “The Beatles: 100 Greatest Songs” in Rolling Stone, and they had deadlines when they had to come up with songs, so they were kind of like forced to write songs by a certain time. Sometimes they came up with a great song, sometimes not so great, but they had record deadlines. But comedy has to be a little more organic, you know? You have to really find the material and hone it down. I’ve done stuff on talk shows, and I look back on it now and I think, “What happened to that hunk?” but I didn’t have the other half of that bit at that point.

When it comes to writing new material for your stand-up routine, where do you usually find your inspiration?
A lot of it is based on my life, you know, an exaggeration of my life. Or you know it’s me sitting with friends, talking and me coming up with something funny because I’m relaxed and loose. Like I was thinking about how people meditate, and I was thinking my New Year’s resolution would be to relax more, so I thought, “Maybe I should start meditating.” I tried that, but it becomes more of a worrying thing for me, I just start worrying. Then I thought maybe that’s because my mantra is, “Ohhhhh noooooo.”

Did becoming a father change the way you write your stand-up material?
Well, he’ll [Gable, Nealon’s son] be 4 at the end of January. Anytime you have a big life change like that, it kind of shifts your thinking pattern. It really was an influence on my writing, but I don’t have a lot of material about being a father. I had a lot of material about going through the pregnancy, in fact I wrote a book about it. As far as being a father, I haven’t really dissected that too much. I’m just kind of enjoying it. Some club owner told me once, “The best way to kill your career is just to do stuff about being a father.”

So that’s really stuck with you?
It has stuck a little, but I don’t know if it’s always true. I haven’t seen Seinfeld’s act lately, but I’m sure even he’s doing stuff about being a Dad. I mean Bill Cosby based his whole career on it.

Have you showed your son any of your movies or your stand-up DVD yet? If so, how did he react?
Oh yeah, he’s seen me in a few things. He’s watched Glen Martin, DDS and he heard my voice and recognized it. He points and he laughs and he goes, “Look it’s Daddy.” I think he thinks I go down to a Walmart or something and just put myself in a movie [laughs].

Weeds has had a ton of success; and in my opinion, your character, Doug Wilson, is one of the funnier ones on the show. How do you prepare for that sort of “stoner-ish” role? Because contrary to popular belief, you don’t smoke pot, do you?
That’s right. I think I go in with the attitude of a friend of mine who smokes a lot of pot, in that he basically doesn’t really have any concerns about the rest of the world. It’s kind of like he’s just looking out for what he enjoys doing, and if he has to make a decision between what’s right and what’s good for him, he’ll usually pick what’s good for him [laughs]. So I think it’s that kind of mental attitude that my character assumes, and he’s basically just out to have fun.

I bet you get people coming up to you all the time like, “You’re on Weeds, let’s go smoke a doobie!” That’s probably annoying, huh?
[Laughs] We went to Haight-Ashbury about a year ago, and you wouldn’t believe the amount people gave us. We were walking around, my wife and I, and I just had a hand full of pot.

I’m always curious about this with comedians: what makes you laugh?
Um, usually the Heimlich maneuver.

So this morning you were set, then huh?
Yeah, I fell off my chair. Real people doing unpredictable things makes me laugh. You know, Candid Camera used to be one of my favorite shows. You know what I mean, though, people not trying to be funny and it just happens. Or kids–kids are really funny. Just their rationale and thinking is just so funny because they are just so innocent. I like dry humor, you know, like Flight of the Concords and Eastbound and Down.

You just seem to be getting funnier with age. You’re like a fine wine or something. How much longer do you see yourself making people laugh?
Well yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever retire because I enjoy doing this. But you know, I start thinking about that as I get older. I think the most important thing is to kind of stay connected and relevant and to stay on top of things, so you can kind of relate to people that are younger than you.

With close to 1.3 million Twitter followers, I’d say you’re pretty on top of things.
[Laughs] Yeah, I guess so. Anyways, that’s my objective: stay current as much as possible.

If you missed Kevin Nealon when he was in Sacramento you can see him on Feb. 26, 2011 at Montbleu in South Lake Tahoe.

DLRN keeps their latest release, and those to come, close to the vest

It’s coming back around. Young artists are expecting more from their culture. Take the art of Kehinde Wiley, for example: He paints the stereotypical street hustler in gentlemanly poses against backdrops of elegant tapestries, juxtaposing the ghetto with the affluent. Sacramento’s DLRN is analogous to Wiley’s vision of celebrating the complexity of hip-hop culture.

Hip-hop has reached a reputable age, and decades deep it has its own version of royalty. As of late though, it has become less of a culture, less of an art form and more of an economic commodity. Sean La Marr, under the nom de plume 5th Ave, sees a potential for change without leaving the sleepy city of Sacramento. La Marr’s video for the song “Dear Langston” is a testament to his hometown pride, as it used Wiley’s art as inspiration–showcasing the city’s talented inhabitants mimicking the regal poses of the elite–the same poses present in Wiley’s portraits.

It’s clear La Marr loves Sacramento hip-hop with the sincerest of hearts. Our interview was intended to discuss the new record his group, DLRN, is dropping this week. Yet, it was during our post-interview hangout session that he revealed his passion for the local scene.

Last year DLRN dropped its No More Heroes record with the intention of introducing new heroes to the hip-hop canon and creating an alternate narrative not traditionally found within the genre. “From an MC standpoint, I was very disillusioned with it,” 5th Ave said. “I came to the realization that a lot of the faces of hip-hop these days I do not relate to. I don’t see them as role models or the influential voices that they once were.”

DLRN, formerly known as Delorean, consists of MC 5th Ave, born Sean La Marr, and producer Jon Reyes. DLRN is retro-fashioned and reactionary, operating in a space that is not quite conscious rap and not quite club rap either. “We’re a product of different time periods and different people, that’s part of how we came up with the name Delorean,” Reyes said.

Unfortunately, a Spanish trance-pop had already claimed the Delorean moniker.

“Our tastes are more eclectic than most acts you’ll hear,” La Marr said, which means they were aware of a possible conflict in their future if they kept the name. By dropping the vowels to DLRN, the group hoped to dodge any cease and desist suits or mistaken-identity tour dates.

“It’s funny because we knew about them when we decided to go with the name,” La Marr said. “We just decided we better blow up before they do. But, then they were on ABC, they had a national tour and became Pitchfork darlings.”

La Marr continued with an anecdote, “We almost didn’t get booked at a show in Seattle because they played at the same venue two weeks prior. We’ll have stuff posted on our Facebook page about events that they’re doing and vice versa.”

Reyes added, “We can’t really hate it, because they’re a really talented band.”

The duo is excited about the switch, citing MGMT and MSTRKRFT as other successful bands that dropped the vowels. Sacramento is now tallied at two non-vowel band names (the other being CHLLNGR) with potential to join the celebrated ranks.

The topic evolved into a discussion over the ethereal trends in cycle of kindred band name themes–such as bands named “wolf-something” or rappers named Lil’. Apparently, there was a birth explosion of Deloreans around the early Naughties. “We thought about adding a word to make it Delorean Brown,” La Marr said. Reyes interjected, “A good reference to one of the greatest wrestlers of the modern era, D’Lo Brown. “ La Marr continued, “But, it turns out there was a Delorean Brown already in Sacramento. Here I think we’re being clever.”

With a new name, DLRN sought out to craft its followup to No More Heroes. The Bridge was recorded at Pinnacle College in Rancho Cordova, which La Marr described as a “sterile” environment in comparison to Omina Labs, where No More Heroes was recorded. It took time, but DLRN enlisted the help of its student body to help them settle into the new digs. “It’s good working with people that you’re friends with outside of the music,” Reyes said. “It makes for very chill sessions.”

Reyes described the recording process for The Bridge, out July 20, 2010 as a free download, as a humbling and surreal experience. The students that volunteered were mostly fans of DLRN prior to the sessions. “Those are the people you’re making it for and they are sitting right next to you,” he said.

Accessing the privilege to hear the new record has been kept to limited company–possibly on a “nothing leaves the studio” policy. The reasoning is DLRN has a purpose with its messages. It’s encoded in the video for “Dear Langston” and on The Bridge. The two releases reference one another, and provide insight into the already planned third album. When I asked the name of the next record, I was met with stoicism and a round-about answer. “There is a hint in the last song,” La Marr said. “I hate to not tell it to you, but when you hear the next DLRN project it will make sense.”

I did not hear the hint in my exclusive The Bridge listening session. But I did hear a reason alongside the Cloud City record to be excited about local hip-hop in July. The Bridge’s first video features Prometheus Brown of Blue Scholars, while the record has further appearances by Hopie Spitshard, Illecism and Chuuwee. That’s all I am allowed to disclose.

DLRN has major plans to kick off August by celebrating the release of The Bridge in what La Marr hopes will be the biggest hip-hop event of the summer. After hearing the words “tequila tasting,” “kegs of free Miller High Life,” “free sushi” and “the Miller High Life girls,” I am not opposed to declaring it the event of the summer either. “I’ve been to a lot of hip-hop shows and I’d hate for this to be just another hip-hop show,” he said. The release party is Aug. 6, 2010 at Beatnik Studios.

In my brief tenure with Submerge, I’ve met a lot of local rappers, most of which have this ambition, rooted in frustration, to overcome their surroundings. It is a career plan that includes reaching or leaving for the Bay Area and Los Angeles markets. La Marr never once spoke with a belittling tone toward his hometown. Instead, we sat for an extra half-hour talking about our favorite Sacramento rappers, putting me on to a great local joint by Blee featuring Doey Rock. “You know what, come to the show and I’ll have a mixtape for you of all my favorite Sacramento shit,” La Marr said. I left thinking, it’s that kind of dedication to the scene that makes someone the founder of a collective such as the Neighborhood Watch. He’s got our best interests at heart.

Go to Beatnik Studios on Aug. 6 for DLRN’s The Bridge record release party. Free Tequila tasting and beer for those 21-and-over will be available. There will also be VIP wrist band bottle service. Come dressed as Alice in Wonderland and get in free. Prize awarded for best costume.

Local Promoter Brian McKenna Prepares for His 40th Birthday and his 20th Anniversary Booking Shows in Sacramento

Twenty years ago, Brian McKenna was a record store clerk, dropping flyers to his shows at the Cattle Club in every bag of records out the door. Now, McKenna is 20 years of promotional work deep. He’s booked every band you love, gathered two lifetimes’ worth of stories and still makes time for shows he doesn’t book. McKenna is a grown man looking at 40 years of life and still spends his days digging for new music that will blow his mind.

McKenna books everything. He’s seen the coming and going of trends like they were cars viewed from the side of a freeway. According to his promotional company’s Myspace page, Abstract Entertainment has booked every variety of band falling between Ani DiFranco and White Zombie. In his younger days, he was booking more than 100 shows a year. With no signs of letting up, McKenna lives in venues. His weekly regimen might range from nights at the Blue Lamp with Lyrics Born to awkward looks from hipsters at The Hub.

In the early ’90s, he brought Mudhoney, Pearl Jam (when it was still known as Mookie Blaylock) and Nirvana to Sacramento before the term “grunge” was coined. He heard songs from acclaimed records like Ten and Nevermind live in dingy low-ceiling holes, before they became platinum records. “Most folks don’t think Nirvana ever played Sacramento,” he says. “They played here three times. But, it was before Nevermind. The best shows you’re going to see from a band, arguably, are when they’re young and hungry and haven’t had a hit yet.”

His show obsession is unquenchable. “I’m at the shows I book, but on my nights off I’m typically at another show,” McKenna says. “When I go to another city, I’m grabbing all the weeklies to see who’s in town. I could be on vacation, whatever; there might be somebody great.”

Once, on a brief vacation in Prague, he did resist the temptation to drag a girlfriend to see a band he’d previously worked with. If it was a band he loved, he asserts, they would have gone. “I don’t date people who aren’t into shows,” he says. “They will quickly realize I will sacrifice quite a bit to go see a good show.” If he ever lost that willingness to sacrifice he’d get a straight job, McKenna concedes—but it’s a knee-jerk response. He wears his loyalty to independent music as casually as his jeans and flannel.

As an independent business man, McKenna’s never taken a corporate sponsorship, preferring to be the provider of his own means. Though he had offers along the way to join the suits, he stayed local in hopes the Sacramento scene would blow up. “I really didn’t want to be punching the clock and putting on a suit and a tie,” he says. “I’m probably better off making my own hours, my own schedule and not answering to anybody.”

McKenna decided to become his own boss after Spirit Records in Rancho Cordova closed. He started Abstract Entertainment in 1994. He might not have pulled a Jim Brewer-style “who’s coming with me?” speech, but he did coax two former Spirit employees to join him, one to be his box office manager and the other to be his production manager. “I worked with those two guys until 2000,” he says.

McKenna’s weathered his share of storms and has elected to see the current economic crisis’ effect on the scene as just another challenge to endure. “The people who are going out to small club [and bar] shows are a really finite number,” he says. “It’s affected by the night of the week, what’s on TV. Even with TiVo, you’re still competing.”

It does not help that Sacramento is a city with its back to the youth, the people who go to shows the most. He’s far past the twilight of his youth, but the memories of being shut out from the venue hosting his favorite band lingers. McKenna laments the loss of all-ages venues, like his first employer, The Cattle Club, and the El Dorado Saloon.

“Unfortunately, the powers that be in our government town are not open to the idea of an all-ages venue,” he says. “They don’t look at it as a chance to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. They look at is as ‘there’s kids out here listening to music I don’t understand, so it can’t be a good thing.’ Why not have a safe place for them to go?”

McKenna admits his own hesitation to jump into the all-ages movement. Sacramento’s 18-and-up venues are the exceptionally large Empire club and a collection of small pizza parlors and coffeehouses holding a maximum of 100 people.

“A lot of the bands I [book], it’s just too small for them,” he says. “I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for the ideal venue that holds 500 kids of all ages and allows 21-and-up to drink to open in Sacramento proper.”

After a return from Burning Man over the summer, McKenna is now preparing for his End of My 30s tour. His birthday week plans include a road trip from San Diego back to Sacramento, following Jesus Lizard, Butthole Surfers and the Melvins through California. The tour concludes with his 20×40 show, an event celebrating 20 years of promotion on his 40th birthday.

“I put Harlow’s on hold a year ago,” he says. “The idea was I wanted to take some of the bands I started with 20 years ago and all bands I truly love and travel to see if they are playing within a 100 miles to commemorate the anniversary.”

He is bringing in Canadian punks No Means No, who made Sacramento its anchor date; mid-’90s local band Kai KlN; and new blood Triclops. With a little luck, he was even able to steal Mike Watt away from Iggy Pop for the night.

“He’s a friend and the first time I set foot in Cattle Club, it was to see him in Firehose,” McKenna says. “I sent an invitation to him, but understood that if Iggy says the Stooges need to be in Germany, Mike Watt will be in Germany. Time went by and he called me up, asking if it was too late to get on the bill. I had the show booked, but I couldn’t tell Mike Watt he’s too late.”